title: Microrespirometric determination of the effectiveness factor and biodegradation kinetics of aerobic granules degrading 4-chlorophenol as the sole carbon source.
abstract: In this study, a microrespirometric method was used, i.e., pulse respirometry in microreactors, to characterize mass transfer and biodegradation kinetics in aerobic granules. The experimental model was an aerobic granular sludge in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) degrading synthetic wastewater containing 4-chlorophenol as the sole carbon source. After 15 days of acclimation, the SBR process degraded 4-chlorophenol at a removal rate of up to 0.9kg CODm(-3)d(-1), and the degradation kinetics were well described by the Haldane model. The microrespirometric method consisted of injecting pulses of 4-chlorophenol into the 24 wells of a microreactor system containing the SBR samples. From the respirograms obtained, the following five kinetic parameters were successfully determined during reactor operation: (i) Maximum specific oxygen uptake rate, (ii) substrate affinity constant, (iii) substrate inhibition constant, (iv) maximum specific growth rate, and (v) cell growth yield. Microrespirometry tests using granules and disaggregated granules allowed for the determination of apparent and intrinsic parameters, which in turn enabled the determination of the effectiveness factor of the granular sludge. It was concluded that this new high-throughput method has the potential to elucidate the complex biological and physicochemical processes of aerobic granular biosystems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav-IPN), Av. IPN 2508, 07360 México DF, México.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vital-Jacome
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Research on Advanced Process for Water Treatment, Unidad Académica Juriquilla, Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd. Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76320, México.
authors.forename: Germán
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buitrón
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Research on Advanced Process for Water Treatment, Unidad Académica Juriquilla, Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd. Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76320, México.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moreno-Andrade
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Research on Advanced Process for Water Treatment, Unidad Académica Juriquilla, Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Blvd. Juriquilla 3001, Querétaro 76320, México.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Garcia-Rea
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Cinvestav-IPN), Av. IPN 2508, 07360 México DF, México. Electronic address: thalasso@cinvestav.mx.
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thalasso
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002733:Chlorophenols; D012722:Sewage; C029107:4-chlorophenol; D002244:Carbon
keywords: 4-Chlorophenol; Aerobic granules; Effectiveness factor; Microreactors; Microrespirometry