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International Journal of Advances in Bio-Informatics and Bio-Technology

Bioaugmentation of xenobiotic treatment activated Sludge during start-up and shock loadings

Author(s) : JIE LIANG, KUEI-YEN LIN, NYUK-MIN CHONG

Abstract

Indigenous microbial biomass, such as the municipal wastewater treatment activated sludge, needs a prolonged acclimation period before the sludge can degrade a xenobiotic organic compound. During acclimation, some of the sludge microorganisms are converted into degraders by acquiring specific genetic coding for metabolism of the xenobiotic organic. At activated sludge system start-up and during xenobiotic shocks, activated sludge microorganisms may not have been acclimated to the newly introduced xenobiotic and thus may fail to treat the influent xenobiotic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of bioaugmentation to activated sludge during the vulnerable times of xenobiotic treatment start-up and shock-loading. Laboratory activated sludge reactors fed biogenic organics were operated and start-up and shock-loading tests were performed with the steady state activated sludge. 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetice acid (2,4-D) replaced biogenic influent in the start-up and shock-loading tests, to which 2,4-D influent uptimes were continuous and square-wave, respectively. The times required to successfully degraded 2,4-D were compared between a control and a test system, which was augmented with activated sludge previously acclimated to 2,4-D. Test results showed that bioaugmentation was instrumental in shortening start-up and shock recovery times. The start-up times shortened were proportional to the amount of acclimated biomass augmented.

No fo Author(s) : 3
Page(s) : 33-36
Electronic ISSN : A-F
Volume 1 : Issue 2
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