Microbial biosafety of pilot-scale bioreactor treating MTBE and TBA-contaminated drinking water supply.
A pilot-scale sand-based fluidized bed bioreactor (FBBR) was utilized to treat both methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) from a contaminated aquifer. To evaluate the potential for re-use of the treated water, we tested for a panel of water quality indicator microorganisms and potential waterborne pathogens including total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Shigella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, Aeromonas hydrophila, Legionella pneumophila, Vibrio cholerae, Yersinia enterocolytica and Mycobacterium avium in both influent and treated waters from the bioreactor. Total bacteria decreased during FBBR treatment. E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella spp., C. jejuni, V. cholerae, Y. enterocolytica and M. avium were not detected in aquifer water or bioreactor treated water samples. For those pathogens detected, including total coliforms, L. pneumophila and A. hydrophila, numbers were usually lower in treated water than influent samples, suggesting removal during treatment. The detection of particular bacterial species reflected their presence or absence in the influent waters.
Land Air and Water Resources Department, One Shields Ave, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Radomir
R
Schmidt
David A
DA
Klemme
Kate
K
Scow
Krassimira
K
Hristova
D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019149:Bioreactors; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014881:Water Supply; D020002:tert-Butyl Alcohol / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D008738:Methyl Ethers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C043243:methyl tert-butyl ether; D020002:tert-Butyl Alcohol