scholarly journals Biological sulfate removal with low-cost carbon sources using cold-acclimated bacteria

Author(s):  
Hanna Virpiranta ◽  
Sanna Taskila ◽  
Tiina Leiviskä ◽  
Jouko Vepsäläinen ◽  
Jaakko Rämö ◽  
...  

Abstract The main goal of this study was to develop a cost-efficient biological method for the removal of sulfate from mining effluents in cold conditions. A consortium of cold-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) was tested at 6 °C regarding the utilization of economically viable, low-cost carbon sources, i.e., whey, conditioned sewage sludge, and peat, in the removal of sulfate from synthetic mining water. Succinate was used as a reference carbon source. Of all the studied low-cost carbon sources, conditioned sewage sludge proved to be the most efficient. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed that sewage sludge contained propionic acid, which proved to be utilizable by SRB under cold conditions. Peat both adsorbed the sulfate and acted as a nutrient source in the sulfate reduction process. When whey was used as a carbon source, only a slight decrease in sulfate concentration was detected. Succinate was found to work in a truly predictable and efficient way as a carbon source in biological sulfate reduction, even at the lowest concentration tested. The use of conditioned sewage sludge increased the bacterial diversity in liquid cultivations significantly. However, the number of SRB was highest in the succinate cultivations.

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madawala Liyanage Duminda Jayaranjan ◽  
Ajit P. Annachhatre

Investigations were undertaken to utilize flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum for the treatment of leachate from the coal ash (CA) dump sites. Bench-scale investigations consisted of three main steps namely hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) using sulfate from solubilized FGD gypsum as the electron acceptor, followed by leaching of heavy metals (HMs) from coal bottom ash (CBA) and subsequent precipitation of HMs using biologically produced sulfide. Leaching tests of CBA carried out at acidic pH revealed the existence of several HMs such as Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Mn, Cu, Ni and Zn. Molasses was used as the electron donor for the biological sulfate reduction (BSR) process which produced sulfide rich effluent with concentration up to 150 mg/L. Sulfide rich effluent from the sulfate reduction process was used to precipitate HMs as metal sulfides from CBA leachate. HM removal in the range from 40 to 100% was obtained through sulfide precipitation.


Chemosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 236 ◽  
pp. 124246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahrokh Shahsavari ◽  
Rajesh Seth ◽  
Subba Rao Chaganti ◽  
Nihar Biswas

2007 ◽  
Vol 20-21 ◽  
pp. 197-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Wolthoorn ◽  
Simon Kuitert ◽  
Henk Dijkman ◽  
Jacco L. Huisman

In a bench scale trial biological sulfate reduction was applied to convert anglesite (PbSO4) to galena (PbS). Anglesite is a main constituent of waste fractions such as the residue from an indirect leaching process or in lead paste from spent car batteries. The goal of this study was to develop a technology to decrease the lead (Pb) emissions by converting PbSO4 from a waste fraction into PbS, which can be recovered from the waste fraction using a flotation process or an electrochemical process. The conversion of anglesite to galena is based on the biological sulfate reduction process and a metal precipitation process. First sulfate is biologically reduced to sulfide. Secondly, the Pb2+ from the PbSO4 reacts chemically with the sulfide resulting from the first reaction. A bench-scale reactor was started up using sulfate- and sulfur-containing influent. The reactor was seeded with biocatalyst from several full-scale reactors. Anglesite-containing residue was added batch-wise when the formation of sulfide started. The residue contained mainly PbSO4 (51.7%), sulfate (SO4 2-, 19.9%) and elemental sulfur (S0, 15.1%). Galena precipitates in the bioreactor due to the near-neutral pH at which sulfate reduction is carried out. During the experiment a surplus of sulfide relative to Pb was maintained to prevent the formation of PbCO3 and the accompanying pH decrease that would unavoidable result in the inhibition of the biocatalyst. Both sulfate and sulfur present in the residue were biologically reduced. The formation of PbS was confirmed by the increased Pb:O ratio of the sludge (1:0.03) relative to the Pb:O ratio of the residue (1:0.3). A potential large-scale application is proposed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winton Li ◽  
Susan A. Baldwin

Low cost-treatment for sulfate removal is required in many areas where potable water is scarce. The biggest challenge in biological treatment is finding an abundant low or no-cost carbon source. This work demonstrated for the first time that leachate from the agricultural byproduct silage can be used in an upflow anaerobic sludge-bed bioreactor to reduce sulfate for on-farm water treatment. The reactor ran continuously for approximately one year with an average silage leachate feed COD concentration of 4,471 ± 857 mg L−1, and sulfate feed concentrations varying from 1,253 to 2,081 mg L−1. The maximum sulfate reduction rate (SRR) of 9.75 ± 0.23 mmol (L day)−1 was achieved at the high sulfate influent concentration and the amount of organics consumed was between 80–90%. Sulfide levels in the UASB bioreactor were consistently high for most of the experiment, averaging 516.6 ± 188.5 mg L−1. Interestingly, during the last month of operation when sulfide concentrations were highest the SRR continued to increase. It was estimated that 36% of the silage leachate carbon was used directly for sulfate reduction.


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