Bioremediation of heavy metals in a synthetic wastewater using a rotating biological contactor

Costley, S

doi:10.1016/s0043-1354(01)00072-0

Cited by 91 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The biofilter system was efficient and fulfilled a performance analogous to other described technologies for the bioremediation of heavy metals from water (Costley & Wallis, 2001;Leonhäuser et al, 2006;Malik, 2004). After one initial phase of unstable biofilter efficiency (first 10 day cycle of operation), possibly due to the adaptation of the microbiota to the new milieu, the submerged fixed biofilm succeeded in the removal of up to 90 % of Cu(II) when it was working in continuous mode for a period over 200 days.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…3), verifying that Cu(II) removal from water takes place through interaction with the bacterial exopolymers. Bacterial extracellular polymers were also found responsible for the metal-binding ability of biofilms grown in a rotating biological contactor in the presence of copper and other heavy metals (Costley & Wallis, 2001). Although the present study did not demonstrate the involvement of the bacterial cell surfaces in metal removal, metals ions can also bind to electronegative sites of the lipopolysaccharide, phospholipids and other molecules (Bruins et al, 2000;Ferris, 1989); hence it is possible that part of the Cu(II) from the water could also have become bound to the cell walls of some or all of the organisms in the biofilm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years, the removal of toxic metal ions by biological methods based on the use of microbial biomass has been suggested as an attractive, low-cost alternative to the conventional physico-chemical processes, with important applications in remediation strategies (von Canstein et al, 1999;Costley & Wallis, 2001;Eccles, 1999;Malik, 2004;Mulligan et al, 2001). Micro-organisms have coexisted with heavy metals in contaminated ecosystems since early times, and the selective pressure of heavy metal pollution triggered the evolution of metal-specific tolerance mechanisms (Bruins et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…input in freshwaters is generated from a number of anthropogenic activities (Cameron, 1992), where these ions sequentially accumulate in sediments, bacteria, tubicid worms and fish, followed by uptake by humans through the trophic chain (Mulligan et al, 2001;Tchounwou et al, 1996). Copper is included on the US Environmental Agency (EPA) list of priority pollutants (Cameron, 1992), and its discharge in water is regulated in the European Union by the 76/464/EEC and 80/68/EEC Directives.In recent years, the removal of toxic metal ions by biological methods based on the use of microbial biomass has been suggested as an attractive, low-cost alternative to the conventional physico-chemical processes, with important applications in remediation strategies (von Canstein et al, 1999;Costley & Wallis, 2001;Eccles, 1999;Malik, 2004;Mulligan et al, 2001). Micro-organisms have coexisted with heavy metals in contaminated ecosystems since early times, and the selective pressure of heavy metal pollution triggered the evolution of metal-specific tolerance mechanisms (Bruins et al, 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Dominance of sphingomonads in a copper-exposed biofilm community for groundwater treatment

et al. 2007

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The structure, biological activity and microbial biodiversity of a biofilm used for the removal of copper from groundwater were studied and compared with those of a biofilm grown under copper-free conditions. A laboratory-scale submerged fixed biofilter was fed with groundwater (2.3 l h "1 ) artificially polluted with Cu(II) (15 mg l "1 ) and amended with sucrose (150 mg l "1 ) as carbon source. Between 73 and 90 % of the Cu(II) was removed from water during long-term operation (over 200 days). The biofilm was a complex ecosystem, consisting of eukaryotic and prokaryotic micro-organisms. Scanning electron microscopy revealed marked structural changes in the biofilm induced by Cu(II), compared to the biofilm grown in absence of the heavy metal. Analysis of cell-bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) demonstrated a significant modification of the composition of cell envelopes in response to Cu(II). Transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) showed that copper bioaccumulated in the EPS matrix by becoming bound to phosphates and/or silicates, whereas copper accumulated only intracytoplasmically in cells of eukaryotic microbes. Cu(II) also decreased sucrose consumption, ATP content and alkaline phosphatase activity of the biofilm. A detailed study of the bacterial community composition was conducted by 16S rRNA-based temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) profiling, which showed spatial and temporal stability of the species diversity of copper-exposed biofilms during biofilter operation. PCR reamplification and sequencing of 14 TGGE bands showed the prevalence of alphaproteobacteria, with most sequences (78 %) affiliated to the Sphingomonadaceae. The major cultivable colony type in plate counts of the copper-exposed biofilm was also identified as that of Sphingomonas sp. These data confirm a major role of these organisms in the composition of the Cu(II)-removing community. INTRODUCTIONCopper is an essential trace element for all species studied to date, including humans (Fraga, 2005). However, a large excess intake of Cu(II) in drinking water can cause nausea, gastric irritation and vomiting, while long-term copper intoxication generates liver disease and severe neurological defects in humans (Hotz et al., 2003;Uriu-Adams & Keen, 2005). Chronic ingestion of drinking water with high Cu(II) concentrations (over 3 mg l 21 ) is thus a potential health risk, especially for susceptible populations like children ( Abbreviations: DGGE, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; EDX, energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis; EPS, extracellular polymeric substances; LOI, loss on ignition; SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TEM, transmission electron microscopy; TGGE, temperature gradient gel electrophoresis; UPGMA, unweighted pair grouping with arithmetic averages. input in freshwaters is generated from a number of anthropogenic activities (Cameron, 1992), where these ions sequentially accumulate in sediments, bacteria, tubicid worms and fish, followed by uptake by humans thro...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dominance of sphingomonads in a copper-exposed biofilm community for groundwater treatment

et al. 2007

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“…Common treatment technologies for lead removal include chemical precipitation and adsorption. However, precipitation becomes less effective and more expensive at high metal concentrations [12] and successful adsorption depends on finding low-cost, high-capacity sorbents [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] or microorganisms that accumulate toxic metals [24][25][26] . Innovative nanospheres have shown promise for lead complexation.…”

Section: Introducing Nanotechnology Into Environmental Engineering Cumentioning

confidence: 99%

Introducing Nanotechnology into Environmental Engineering Curriculum

Zhang¹,

Bruell²,

Yin³

et al. 2009

Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education

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Industrial Mine Use: Mine Waste

Heyden¹

2004

Water Encyclopedia

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The extraction of minerals and the mining and processing of ores produces a variety of effluents, which, if left untreated and discharged into the environment, can impact the natural and social environment. Various types of mine effluent and the conditions giving rise to their generation are described, with some focus on acid mine drainage (AMD) in particular, both in terms of the chemistry of generation and common methods of AMD remediation. Both active treatment (for example, high density sludge process) and passive remediation (for example, wetlands) treatment of mine effluents are explored and the common processes of remediation are discussed in detail.

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Bioremediation of heavy metals in a synthetic wastewater using a rotating biological contactor

Cited by 91 publications

References 30 publications

Dominance of sphingomonads in a copper-exposed biofilm community for groundwater treatment

Dominance of sphingomonads in a copper-exposed biofilm community for groundwater treatment

Introducing Nanotechnology into Environmental Engineering Curriculum

Industrial Mine Use: Mine Waste

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