title: Bioaugmentation of a rotating biological contactor for degradation of 2-fluorophenol.
abstract: The performance of a laboratory scale rotating biological contactor (RBC) towards shock loadings of 2-fluorophenol (2-FP) was investigated. During a period of ca. 2 months organic shock loadings of 25 mg L⁻¹ of 2-FP were applied to the RBC. As no biodegradation of 2-FP was observed, bioaugmentation of the RBC with a 2-FP degrading strain was carried out and, along ca. 6 months, organic shock loadings within a range of 25-200 mg L⁻¹ of 2-FP were applied. Complete biodegradation of 50 mg L⁻¹ of 2-FP was observed during operation of the reactor. The RBC showed to be robust towards starvation periods, as after ca. 1month of non-supply of the target compound, the reactor resumed 2-FP degradation. The inoculated strain was retained within the biofilm in the disks, as the 2-FP degrading strain was recovered from the biofilm by the end of the experiment, thus bioaugmentation was successfully achieved.
authors.affiliation: CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Anouk F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Duque
authors.forename: Vânia S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Bessa
authors.forename: Maria F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Paula M L
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D019295:Computational Biology; D010636:Phenols / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C487839:2-fluorophenol