title: Degradation of acetonitrile through a sequence of microbial reactors.
abstract: Degradation of nitrogen containing organic compounds often leads to formation of ammonium and some low molecular weight organic compounds. The study is focused on degradation of acetonitrile in a sequence of stirred biofilm reactors, where the degradation of acetonitrile into acetic acid and ammonia takes place in the first two reactors. A large fraction of the acetic acid is also degraded in these reactors. The subsequent two reactors were introduced in order to take care of the ammonia, while a fifth reactor was a polishing step before the water was released to the recipient. From earlier studies it is known that the rate of acetonitrile degradation is approximately 80 g acetonitrile/ (m3 reactor h). In the present study nitrification proceeded with 10 g NH4(+)-N/(m3 reactor h) and the denitrification by 35 g NOx(-)-N/ (m3 reactor h). This means that the reactors involved in removal of the nitrogen component needs to be far larger than those dealing with degradation of the more complex molecules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Håkansson
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Welander
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mattiasson
mesh_terms: D000097:Acetonitriles / Q000378:metabolism*; D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D009573:Nitrites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000097:Acetonitriles; D009573:Nitrites; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D014873:Water Pollutants; D000641:Ammonia; C032159:acetonitrile