an different inoculum sources influence the biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole antibiotic during anaerobic digestion

Author(s)

Sella, Caroline F. ^[1] ; Carneiro, Rodrigo B. ^[2] ; Sabatini, Carolina A. ^[1] ; Sakamoto, Isabel K. ^[1] ; Zaiat, Marcelo ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Biol Proc Lab LPB, Sao Carlos Sch Engn EESC, 1100 Joao Dagnone Ave, BR-13563120 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Lab Chromatog CROMA, Inst Chem Sao Carlos, 400 Trabalhador Sao Carlense Ave, BR-13566590 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering; v. 39, n. 1 NOV 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is one of the antibiotics most frequently detected in effluents from conventional wastewater treatment plants, which increases the concern about the possible impacts on the aquatic biota and public health regarding the emergence of bacteria resistant to this drug. Anaerobic fixed bed reactors are supposed to enhance antibiotic biodegradation due to the biofilm formation in the reactor. In this context, this study evaluated the dynamics of the microbial community in the biofilm of three inoculum sources taken from Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors for the biodegradation of SMX in anaerobic structured bed biofilm reactor (ASBBR) with: poultry slaughterhouse sludge (PS), brewery sludge (BS) and domestic sewage sludge (SS). The ASBBR reached high COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) removal (> 84%) and biomethane yield (> 276 mLCH(4) g(-1) CODremoved) for all inocula. The bioreactor operation with PS inoculum presented the best SMX removal (90 +/- 5%), while the BS and SS inocula resulted in 84 +/- 6% and 70 +/- 5% removal, respectively. The kinetic profiles of COD and SMX removal indicated the occurrence of cometabolic biodegradation of sulfonamide. The molecular biology analysis showed that the microbial community of the SS inoculum suffered significant changes during the ASBBR operation for the Archaea and Bacteria domains and the biomass of PS presented more similarity to the inoculum, indicating a better SMX adaptation, in agreement with the higher SMX removal. Furthermore, the diversity of the Archaea domain (mainly Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina) increased in the biomass after each reactor operation compared to the raw inocula, indicating that the methanogenic pathway was favored during the anaerobic digestion. The experimental results showed that the inoculum source plays an important role in the SMX biodegradation during the biological wastewater treatment. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/04427-4 - Performance evaluation of structured and packed bed reactor for removal of sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin
• Grantee: Rodrigo Braz Carneiro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 17/18718-6 - Study and evaluation of the influence of different inocules on the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole removal in anaerobic structured bed reactor
• Grantee: Caroline Fernanda Sella
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 15/06246-7 - Biorefinery concept applied to biological wastewater treatment plants: environmental pollution control coupled with material and energy recovery
• Grantee: Marcelo Zaiat
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 09/53850-6 - Acquisition of a mass spectrometer forin-depth studies of the mechanisms of degradation of organic compounds in reactors applied to wastewater treatment and to the production of bioactive commercial compounds
• Grantee: Marcelo Zaiat
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program