Improving the yield of Anoectochilus roxburghii by Bacillus licheniformis cultured in Agaricus bisporus industrial wastewater

BACKGROUND: There is a large amount of industrial wastewater produced by the mushroom industry during the canning processing each year, which could provide abundant carbon, nitrogen and inorganic salts for microbial growth. The aim of this study was to optimize the culture conditions for Bacillus licheniformis cultured in the Agaricus bisporus industrial wastewater to produce the agricultural microbial fertilizer. RESULTS: In this work, the maximal biomass of B. licheniformis could be obtained under the following culture conditions: 33.7°C, pH 7.0, 221 rpm shaking speed, 0.5% wastewater, 2 (v:v, %) inoculum dose, loading liquid of 60 mL/250 mL and a culture time of 24 h, and the average experimental value obtained was 1.35 ± 0.04 × 109 Obj/mL, which was within the 95% confidence interval of the predicted model (1.29­1.38 × 109 Obj/mL), and met the national microbial fertilizers' standard in China. Furthermore, the field experiment results showed that the fermentation broth of B. licheniformis could significantly improve the yield of Anoectochilus roxburghii. CONCLUSIONS: Agaricus bisporus industrial wastewater can be used to produce agricultural microbial fertilizer.

The Effects of an Industrial Wastewater Effluent on the Seasonal Variations of Ekerekana Creek, Rivers State Nigeria

The effects of industrial wastewater from Port-Harcourt Refinery Company Limited on Ekerekana Creek, Rivers state were studied. This study was carried out in July and December 2015. Analyses focused on Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Chromium, pH, Phosphate, Nitrate, Temperature, Dissolve Oxygen, BOD5 and Total Hydrocarbon Content as some of the parameters of interest. Sterilized yellowish-brown bottles were used to collect samples from each location and fixed with concentrated HNO3 before transporting to the laboratory in iced coolers. Water samples from the different stations were analyzed using standard laboratory methods. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM- SPSS(C)) version 19.0, statistical package for windows and MS Excel was used in the analysis of data. The test of homogeneity of variance in Means of the variables was carried out using the one way ANOVA. Results obtained showed that for heavy metals concentrations, Cadmium varied between 0.03 mg/L and 0.70 mg/L (0.39 ±0.06), Lead varied between 0.09 mg/L and 0.65 mg/L (0.29 ±0.04), Chromium between 0.04 mg/L and 0.46 mg/L (0.23 ±0.03) and Copper 0.10 mg/L and 0.90 mg/L (0.45 ±0.06) respectively. Others include pH which varied between 5.7 and 6.8 (6.15 ±0.07), Dissolved Oxygen 3.40 mg/L and 6.40 mg/L (4.75 ±0.22). BOD and Turbidity varied between 6.20 mg/L and 9.90 mg/L (7.77 ±0.29) and 8.60NTU and 11.20NTU (9.80 ±0.20) respectively. General results show that station 2 (discharge point) had maximum concentrations of heavy metals and other contributory parameters, and their values were higher than World Health Organization (WHO) and National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) standards. The test of homogeneity of variance in means of the physical and chemical parameters revealed significant spatial inequality F(161.45)>Fcrit(4.49) at P = .05 across the sampling stations.

Membrane technology for optimizing process optimization of small bioactive compounds in Mailuoning Injection factory effluene / 中草药

Objective: To enrich small bioactive compounds from Mailuoning Injection factory effluene by polyether sulfoxide hollow fiber membrane. Methods: The retention rate of the common polymer (protein, tannin, starch, and pectin) and the permeability of the small molecule pharmacodynamic substance chlorogenic acid were the indicators, and the stop time and membrane type in ultrafiltration process were optimized. The temperature, pressure, and feed rate were investigated to determine the influence degree of each factor on the permeability and retention rate, and then the optimum process parameters of the ultrafiltration membrane process were optimized by using Box-Behnken design-response surface method. Results: The sequence of common polymer retention rate from high to low is: the influencing factor A (temperature), B (pressure), C (feed rate), and there was a negative correlation with the temperature. For the chlorogenic acid transmission rate, the influencing factor A (temperature) was larger than B (pressure), and C (feed rate) was lowest. There was a “∩” relationship between chlorogenic acid permeability and pressure at a certain temperature and rate. The results of optimized process were as follows: liquid temperature was 35 ℃, feed rate was 262 mL/min, and membrane pressure was 15.0 psi (1 psi = 6.895 kPa). The chlorogenic acid transmission rate was (91.470 ± 0.988)%, and polymer retention rate was (80.080 ± 2.296)%. The comprehensive score was (85.780 ± 1.641)% and RSD was 0.46%. There was a small difference between the two processes. Conclusion: Hollow fiber membrane, which is a sustainable and green resource utilization, has a good permeability for small bioactive compounds in wastewater, and has excellent retaining effect on common macromolecules.

Optimización del tratamiento de aguas residuales de cultivos de flores usando humedales construidos de flujo subsuperficial horizontal / Optimization of wastewater treatment from a flower crops using a horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetland / Otimização do tratamento de águas residuárias em plantações de flores usando alagados construídos de fluxo subsuperficial horizontal

Objetivo: optimizar un sistema de tratamiento de aguas residuales de cultivos de flores, con el fin de mejorar la eficiencia en la remoción de los contaminantes, usando humedales construidos de flujo subsuperficial-horizontal. Metodología: se realizó un estudio de tipo exploratorio experimental en dos etapas, en la primera se efectuó el acondicionamiento fisicoquímico y biológico del sistema de tratamiento, en la segunda, se llevó a cabo el seguimiento de la remoción de los contaminantes durante nueve meses, para lo cual se monitoreó la demanda química de oxígeno, demanda biológica de oxígeno, sólidos totales, sólidos suspendidos totales, pH y oxígeno disuelto. Resultados: Se logró mejorar la eficiencia del sistema de tratamiento en 7,1% para la Demanda biológica de oxígeno, 4,1% Demanda química de oxígeno, 56,9% sólidos totales y 117,2% solidos suspendidos totales. Conclusión: La concentración de DQO disminuyó con el tratamiento primario (Precipitación y oxidación química) y favoreció la eficiencia del sistema de tratamiento secundario, dado que las aguas a tratar tenían valores muy altos de DQO que pueden saturar los humedales con contaminantes persistentes. Se podrían obtener mayores eficiencias, si se logra mejorar el sistema de tratamiento primario.

Objective: to optimize the wastewater treatment system of flower crops in order to improve pollutant removal efficiency, using a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland. Methodology: An exploratory experimental study was conducted in two stages; in the first stage the treatment system was conditioned physically, chemically and biologically. In the second stage pollutant removal was monitored for nine months. To achieve this, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, total solids, total suspended solids, pH and dissolved oxygen were monitored. Results: It was possible to improve the efficiency of the treatment system in 7.1% for biological oxygen demand, 4.1 % for chemical oxygen demand, 56.9 % for total solids and 117.2 % for total suspended solids. Conclussion: the concentration of COD decreased with the primary treatment (precipitation, chemical oxidation) and favored the efficiency of the secondary treatment system since the water to be treated had very high values of COD which may saturate the wetlands with persistent pollutants. Higher efficiency could be obtained by enhancing the primary treatment system.

Objetivo: optimização do sistema de tratamento das águas residuárias de cultivos de flores, a fim de melhorar a eficiência na remoção dos contaminantes, usando alagados construídos de fluxo subsuperficial horizontal. Metodologia: realizou-se estudos experimentais em duas etapas, na primeira efetuou-se o desenvolvimento fisico-químico e biológico do sistema de tratamento, na segunda, o acompanhamento da remoção dos contaminantes durante nove meses, foi monitorado a demanda química de oxigênio, demanda biológica de oxigênio, sólidos totais, sólidos suspendidos totais, pH e oxigênio dissolvido. Resultados : Foi possível melhorar a eficiência do sistema de tratamento em 7,1% para a demanda biológica de oxigênio, 4,1% demanda química de oxigênio, 56,9% sólidos totais e 117,2% sólidos suspendidos totais. Conclusão: A concentração de DQO diminuiu com o tratamento primário (Precipitação e oxidação química) e favoreceu a eficiência do sistema de tratamento secundário, uma vez que as águas a tratar tinham valores muito altos de DQO que podem saturar os alagados com contaminantes persistentes. Poderiam alcançar maiores eficiências, consegue-se melhorar o sistema de tratamento primário.

Industrial wastewater as raw material for exopolysaccharide production by Rhizobium leguminosarum

The objective of this study was to evaluate the exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by Rhizobium leguminosarum cultivated in wastewater generated by oil companies (WWOC1 and WWOC2) and fish processing industry (WWFP). The results obtained in Erlenmeyer flasks indicated that the rhizobial strain grew well in industrial wastewater. Generally, wastewater composition affected the growth and the EPS production. WWFP allowed good bacterial growth similar to that obtained with the standard medium (YMB). During growth, various quantities of EPS were produced and yields varied depending on the media. Growing in YMB, EPS production did not exceed 9.7 g/L obtained after 72 h of growth. In wastewater, the maximum EPS value reached 11.1 g/L obtained with the fish processing wastewater, after 72 h of growth. The use of a mixture of the oil company wastewater (WWOC2) and the fish processing wastewater (WWFP) as culture medium affected not only the rhizobial strain growth, but also EPS production. The highest EPS (42.4 g/L, after 96 h of culture) was obtained using a ratio of WWFP and WWOC2 of 50:50 (v:v). Therefore, this work shows the ability of Rhizobium leguminosarum, growing in industrial wastewater as new economic medium, to produce EPS. This biopolymer could be applied in enormous biotechnological areas.

Tetracycline: production, waste treatment and environmental impact assessment

The frequent occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment requires an assessment of their environmental impact and their negative effects in humans. Among the drugs with high harmful potential to the environment are the antibiotics that reach the environment not only, as may be expected, through the effluents from chemical and pharmaceutical industries, but mainly through the sewage and livestock; because around 25 to 75% of the ingested drugs are excreted in unchanged form after the passage through the Gastro-Intestinal Tract. Tetracycline has high world consumption, representing a human consumption of about 23 kg/day in Brazil in 2007. At the moment, researches are being made to develop new tetracycline that incorporate heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Re, Pt, Pd) to their structures in order to increase their bactericidal effect. The conventional wastewater treatment plants are not able to degrade complex organic molecules to reduce their toxicity and improve their biodegradability. For this reason new technologies, i.e., the advanced oxidation processes, are being developed to handle this demand. The objectives of this study are to review the literature on the processes of obtaining tetracycline, presenting its waste treatment methods and evaluation of their environmental impact.

A ocorrência frequente de fármacos no meio aquático exige a avaliação do seu impacto ambiental e seus efeitos negativos em seres humanos. Dentre os fármacos com maior potencial de impacto ambiental estão os antibióticos, que chegam ao meio ambiente através dos efluentes de indústrias químico-farmacêuticas e, principalmente, através de esgotos domésticos e criação de animais, visto que 25% a 75% dos fármacos são excretados em forma inalterada após passagem pelo Trato Gastrointestinal. Parcela significativa do consumo mundial dos antibióticos corresponde à classe das tetraciclinas, representando consumo humano de 23 kg/dia no Brasil, em 2007. Atualmente, há pesquisas de novas tetraciclinas que incorporam metais pesados (Hg, Cd, Re, Pt, Pd) às suas estruturas com o intuito de aumentar suas atividades bactericidas. As estações de tratamento de águas residuais convencionais não são capazes de degradar moléculas orgânicas complexas, diminuir a sua toxicidade e melhorar a sua biodegradabilidade. Por esta razão, as novas tecnologias, como, por exemplo, os processos oxidativos avançados, estão sendo desenvolvidos para lidar com esta demanda. Os objetivos deste trabalho são fazer uma revisão da literatura sobre os processos de obtenção de tetraciclinas, apresentar métodos de tratamento de seus resíduos e avaliar o seu impacto ambiental.

Characterization of the biomass of a hybrid anaerobic reactor (HAR) with two types of support material during the treatment of the coffee wastewater

This study investigated the microbiology of a hybrid anaerobic reactor (HAR) in the removal of pollutant loads. This reactor had the same physical structure of an UASB reactor, however with minifilters inside containing two types of support material: expanded clay and gravel. Two hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 24h and 18h were evaluated at steady-state conditions, resulting in organic loading rates (OLR) of 0.032 and 0.018 kgDBO5m-3d-1 and biological organic loading rates (BOLR) of 0,0015 and 0.001 kgDBO5kgSVT- 1d¹, respectively. The decrease in concentration of organic matter in the influent resulted an endogenous state of the biomass in the reactor. The expanded clay was the best support material for biofilm attachment.