Enhanced remediation of black liquor by activated sludge bioaugmented with a novel exogenous microorganism culture.
Black liquor (BL) is a notoriously difficult wastewater to treat due to the economic and efficiency limitations of physiochemical methods and intrinsic difficulties with bioremediation strategies caused by the high pH (10-13) and lignin content. This study investigated the feasibility of a novel bioaugmentation strategy for BL treatment, which uses a mixed microorganism culture of lignocellulose-degrading microorganisms isolated from degraded bamboo slips. Black liquor treatment was assessed in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removal with a sequencing batch reactor organic loading rate of 9 kg COD/L·day under highly alkaline conditions (pH 10). Results revealed that bioaugmented activated sludge treatment of BL with special mixed microorganisms significantly enhanced the removal efficiency of COD, color, and lignin from the wastewater up to 64.8, 50.5, and 53.2 %, respectively. Gel permeation chromatography profiles showed that the bioaugmentation system could successfully degrade high molecular lignin fragments in black liquor. This work confirms bioaugmentation as a feasible alternative strategy for enhanced biological treatment of wastewater with high lignin content and high organic load rate under strongly alkaline conditions.
Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Metallurgical Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, People's Republic of China.
Yu
Y
Zheng
Li-Yuan
LY
Chai
Zhi-Hui
ZH
Yang
Chong-Jian
CJ
Tang
Yue-Hui
YH
Chen
Yan
Y
Shi
D001230:Aspergillus / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D042521:Burkholderiaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D020585:Comamonas / Q000378:metabolism*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical