title: Bioaugmentation process of secondary effluents for reduction of pathogens, heavy metals and antibiotics.
abstract: The study probed into reducing faecal indicators and pathogenic bacteria, heavy metals and β-lactam antibiotics, from four types of secondary effluents by bioaugmentation process, which was conducted with Bacillus subtilis strain at 45 °C. As a result, faecal indicators and pathogenic bacteria were reduced due to the effect of thermal treatment process (45 °C), while the removal of heavy metals and β-lactam antibiotics was performed through the functions of bioaccumulation and biodegradation processes of B. subtilis. Faecal coliform met the guidelines outlined by WHO and US EPA standards after 4 and 16 days, respectively. Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were reduced to below the detection limits without renewed growth in the final effluents determined by using a culture-based method. Furthermore, 13.5% and 56.1% of cephalexin had been removed, respectively, from secondary effluents containing 1 g of cephalexin L-1(secondary effluent 3), as well as 1 g of cephalexin L-1and 10 mg of Ni2+L-1(secondary effluent 4) after 16 days. The treatment process, eventually, successfully removed 96.6% and 66.3% of Ni2+ions from the secondary effluents containing 10 mg of Ni2+L-1(secondary effluent 2) and E4, respectively. The bioaugmentation process improved the quality of secondary effluents.
authors.affiliation: Micro-pollution Research Centre (MPRC), Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor 86400, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Gheethi
authors.affiliation: Micro-pollution Research Centre (MPRC), Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor 86400, Malaysia.
authors.forename: R M S R
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.affiliation: Environmental Technology Division, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM, Penang 11800, Malaysia E-mail: norlii@usm.my.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Efaq
authors.affiliation: Environmental Technology Division, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM, Penang 11800, Malaysia E-mail: norlii@usm.my.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Norli
authors.affiliation: Department of Architecture and Engineering Design, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor 86400, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abd Halid
authors.affiliation: Micro-pollution Research Centre (MPRC), Department of Water and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor 86400, Malaysia.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Amir
authors.affiliation: Environmental Technology Division, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, USM, Penang 11800, Malaysia E-mail: norlii@usm.my.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Ab Kadir
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000502:physiology*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000502:physiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D047090:beta-Lactams / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D047090:beta-Lactams