title: Successful bioaugmentation of an activated sludge reactor with Rhodococcus sp. YYL for efficient tetrahydrofuran degradation.
abstract: The exchange of tetrahydrofuran (THF)-containing wastewater should significantly affect the performance of an activated sludge system. In this study, the feasibility of using THF-degrading Rhodococcus sp. strain YYL to bioaugment an activated sludge system treating THF wastewater was explored. As indicated by a DGGE analysis, strain YYL alone could not dominate the system, with the concentration of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) decreasing to nearly half of the initial concentration after 45 d, and the microbial diversity was found to be significantly reduced. However, after the reactor was augmented with the mixed culture of strain YYL and two bacilli initially coexisting in the enriched isolation source, strain YYL quickly became dominant in the system and was incorporated into the activated sludge. The concentration of MLSS increased from 2.1g/L to 7.3g/L in 20 d, and the efficiency of THF removal from the system was remarkably improved. After the successful bioaugmentation, more than 95% of THF was completely removed from the wastewater when 20mM THF was continuously loaded into the system. In conclusion, our research first demonstrates that bioaugmentation of activated sludge system for THF degradation is feasible but that successful bioaugmentation should utilize a THF-degrading mixed culture as the inoculum, in which the two bacilli might help strain YYL colonize in activated sludge by co-aggregation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment, Resource, Soil and Fertilizer, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 198 Shiqiao Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310021, China; Institute of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. Electronic address: yaoyl0679@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Yanlai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Zhenmei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Fengxiang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Caimiao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bian
mesh_terms: D001407:Bacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D005663:Furans / Q000378:metabolism*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012240:Rhodococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005663:Furans; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C018674:tetrahydrofuran; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases
keywords: Bioaugmentation; Mixed culture; Rhodococcus sp. YYL; Tetrahydrofuran