title: Microbial characterisation of activated sludge in jet-loop bioreactors treating winery wastewaters.
abstract: Jet-loop reactors (JLR) used as biological waste treatment processes introduce an additional selective pressure on the natural microbial flora of the incoming effluent. Several high-performing microbial inocula were tested for winery wastewater treatment and the microbial composition was analysed. A microbial consortium was enriched and selected for use with a new type of aerobic JLR. The reactor was operated continuously for more than 1 year using winery wastewaters collected in different seasons. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was on average greater than 80%, with retention times of 0.8-1 day. Microbial populations were sampled for characterisation after 6 months and at the end of the study. Isolates were identified at genus and/or species level. Almost all isolates belonged to the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was also found but no filamentous fungi. These results show that a highly adapted population develops in JLRs treating winery effluents as compared to other bioreactors. Aerobic JLRs impose a stringent selective criterion on the composition of the microbial biomass.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Department, INETI, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar 22, 1649-038, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eusébio
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petruccioli
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lageiro
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Federici
authors.forename: José Cardoso
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Duarte
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D013696:Temperature; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014920:Wine / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage