Low biological phosphorus removal from effluents treated by slow sand filters

Author(s)

Papp, Luiz Antonio ; Cardinali-Rezende, Juliana ; de Souza Judice, Wagner Alves ; Sanchez, Marilia Bixilia ; Araujo, Welington Luiz

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology; v. 106, n. 17, p. 13-pg., 2022-08-05.

Abstract

The legislation for environment protection requires strict controls of the wastewater releasing in water bodies. The wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) have been used for organic matter degradation; however, the residual total phosphorus (TP) removal has not been efficient. TP and nitrogen present in wastewater are associated to eutrophication of water bodies and algae growth. Therefore, this study discusses the efficiency of phosphorus removal by a slow filter (SF), complementary to a WWTP and the microbial community involved. The results showed that the use of SF, with or without macrophytes, is not suitable to remove TP. Spatial variation in microbial communities distributed in three distinct zones was identified in the SF. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi and Firmicutes covered the hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria. The acetogenesis, nitrification, and denitrification, as well as the removal of phosphorus from the effluent, were performed by representatives affiliated to different groups. Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria among these, Dokdonella sp., Frateuria sp., Comamonas sp., Diaphorobacter sp., Nitrosospira sp., Ferruginibacter sp., Flavobacterium sp., and the uncultured OD1 were the most abundant bacteria in the SF. The low efficiency for TP removing from SF effluents can be explained by the low abundance of phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs), with the association of the low concentration of biodegradable organic matter in the inlet effluent. Therefore, the alternative to using SF as a complement to WWTPs, as recommended by some Brazilian environmental agencies, did not prove to be viable and new approaches must be evaluated. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 21/01503-2 - Evaluation of the effects of glycosaminoglycans on the activity of cysteine protease catatepsin inhibitors
• Grantee: Wagner Alves de Souza Júdice
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/12510-4 - Endophytic microorganisms and the host plant: genes and metabolites involved in the interaction
• Grantee: Welington Luiz de Araújo
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/25112-4 - Evaluation of modulators of the activity of proteases involved in pathological processes
• Grantee: Wagner Alves de Souza Júdice
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/02205-1 - Study of kinetic behavior of convertases
• Grantee: Wagner Alves de Souza Júdice
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants