Performance of a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor and dynamics of the microbial community during degradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP).

The anaerobic biological treatment of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and methanol as the main carbon source was investigated in a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor at 30+/-1 degrees C, during a 220-day trial period. The reactor biomass was developed as an attached biofilm on polyurethane foam particles, with 24h of hydraulic retention time. The PCP concentrations, which ranged from 2.0 to 13.0 mg/L, were controlled by adding synthetic substrate. The HAIB reactor reduced 97% of COD and removed 99% of PCP. The microbial biofilm communities of the HAIB reactor amended with PCP, without previous acclimatization, were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) with specific Archaea oligonucleotide primers. The ARDRA technique provided an adequate analysis of the community, revealing the profile of the selected population along the reactor. The biomass activities in the HAIB reactor at the end of the experiments indicated the development of PCP degraders and the maintenance of the population of methanogenic Archaea, ensuring the high efficiency of the system treating PCP with added methanol as the cosubstrate. The use of the simplified ARDRA method enabled us to monitor the microbial population with the addition of high concentrations of toxic compounds and highlighting a selection of microorganisms in the biofilm.

Phylogenetic study of legionella species in pristine and polluted aquatic samples from a tropical Atlantic forest ecosystem.

Legionella species are ubiquitous bacteria in aquatic environments. To examine the effect of anthropogenic impacts and physicochemical characteristics on the Legionellaceae population, we collected water from two sites in the Itanhaém River system in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. One sample was collected from an upstream pristine region, the other from a downstream estuarine region moderately affected by untreated domestic sewage. Cultures on a selective medium failed to isolate Legionella species. Culture-independent methods showed that water from the estuarine aquatic habitat contained DNA sequences homologous to the 16S ribosomal DNA gene of Legionella pneumophila and non-pneumophila species. In pristine water, only two sequences related to L. pneumophila were detected. The results suggest that salinity and anthropogenic factors, such as wastewater discharge, favor a diversity of Legionella species, whereas pristine freshwater selects for Legionella pneumophila.

Gas chromatographic methods for monitoring of wastewater chlorophenol degradation in anaerobic reactors.

Wastewater samples from an anaerobic reactor were extracted with hexane and derivatized with diazomethane (method 1) and with acetic anidride (method 2). Gas chromatography with electron-capture detection (ECD) was employed for separating the parent compound and intermediates trichlorophenols (TCP) and dichlorophenols (DCP) which originated from the penta chlorophenol (PCP) degradation process. The relations between concentrations of PCP, TCP and DCP areas were linear in the range of concentrations of 0.2 to 8 mg/L and 0.025 mg/L to 5 mg/L for methods 1 and 2, respectively. The repeatability of the extraction methods was satisfactory, with variation coefficients lower than 11%. For method 1, at the fortification level of 0.2 mg/L, recovery of PCP, TCP, and DCP was 112%, 74% and 45%, respectively. For method 2, the corresponding recovery values at the fortification level of 0.1 mg/L were 91%, 93% and 103%, respectively. Storage of the frozen samples did not alter their PCP determination properties. The chromatographic methods adapted for chlorophenol determination in wastewater were suitable with relatively simple manipulation techniques. The obtained results were reproducible and allowed identification of intermediates formed during the PCP degradation process.

Comparison of hexamethyldisilazane and critical point drying treatments for SEM analysis of anaerobic biofilms and granular sludge.

We present a fast procedure for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis in which hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) solvent, instead of the critical point drying, is used to remove liquids from a microbiological specimen. The results indicate that the HMDS solvent is suitable for drying samples of anaerobic cells for examination by SEM and does not cause cell structure disruption.

Uso de técnicas cromatográficas para a avaliaçäo de propriedades físico-químicas de pesticidas em solos: III. Determinaçäo da biodegraçäo / Use of the cromatographic techniques to the evaluation of the physic-chemical properties of the pesticides in soil: III. Determination of the biodegradation

No presente trabalho propöe-se uma metodologia alternativa àquela descrita no Manual de Testes para Avaliaçäo da Ecotoxicidade de Agentes Químicos do IBAMA, para avaliaçäo da biodegradaçäo de agrotóxicos em amostras de solos. Utilizando-se a trifluralina como modelo, foi feita a avaliaçäo da biodegradaçäo deste agrotóxico em solo do Estado de Säo Paulo, a partir da detecçäo e determinaçäo quantitativa da trifluralina por cromatografia gasosa de alta resoluçäo com detecçäo por ionizaçäo de chama (HRGC/FID) os resultados encontrados foram compatíveis com o comportamento da trifluralina em solos, determinado por métodos radiométricos e descrito na literatura para a trifluralina. A substituiçäo do método convencional (radiométrico) pelo método cromatográfico pode ser uma alternativa mais econômica e mais conveniente para a realidade brasileira.