Removal of the veterinary antimicrobial sulfamethazine in a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor subjected to step changes in the applied organic loading rate

Author(s)

Oliveira, G. H. D. ; Santos-Neto, A. J. ; Zaiat, M.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Environmental Management; v. 204, p. 10-pg., 2017-12-15.

Abstract

A bench-scale horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor treating synthetic swine wastewater was operated under different applied organic loading rates (OLR) through both variations in feed strength and in hydraulic retention time (HRT). The influence of step changes in OLR on the removal of the veterinary antimicrobial sulfamethazine (SMZ) was assessed. The highest observed SMZ removal efficiency, 75 +/- 6%, was achieved with an OLR of 2.7 +/- 0.4 kg O-2 m(-)3 d(-1) when a significant increase in COD removal rate was observed. The SMZ removal rate was positively correlated (r = 0.899) to the COD removal rate in all of the experimental conditions in which the HRT was kept at 24 h, indicating a cometabolic transformation of the antimicrobial. Decreasing the HRT caused a significant decrease in SMZ removal efficiency without affecting the HAIB reactor performance in terms of stability, COD removal or metabolic intermediates production. Functionally equivalent steady states were observed in four different operational phases with similar operating conditions but with widely different behavior in relation to SMZ removal. The experimental results showed the potential of anaerobic technology in removing environmentally relevant concentrations of SMZ, and the possibility of enhancing reactor performance by controlling operating conditions. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/18942-0 - Sulfamethazine removal in anaerobic reactors treating swine wastewater
• Grantee: Guilherme Henrique Duarte de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 10/19910-9 - Development of green chemistry strategies on chromatography and application to the evaluation of antibiotics degradation in wastewaters by fixed-bed anaerobic bioreactors
• Grantee: Alvaro José dos Santos Neto
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research 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
• 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: 09/15984-0 - Bioenergy production from wastewaters and environmental fitting of liquid and solid wastes generated
• Grantee: Marcelo Zaiat
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants