A novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatment
Moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) are an effective biotechnology for treating industrial wastewater. Biomass retention on moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) carriers (biofilm support materials), allows for the ease-of-operation and high treatment capacity of MBBR systems. Optimization of MBBR syste...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AIMS Press
2015-10-01
|
| Series: | AIMS Bioengineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.aimspress.com/Bioengineering/article/471/fulltext.html |
| _version_ | 1811217603707797504 |
|---|---|
| author | Joe A. Lemire Marc A. Demeter Iain George Howard Ceri Raymond J. Turner |
| author_facet | Joe A. Lemire Marc A. Demeter Iain George Howard Ceri Raymond J. Turner |
| author_sort | Joe A. Lemire |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) are an effective biotechnology for treating industrial wastewater. Biomass retention on moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) carriers (biofilm support materials), allows for the ease-of-operation and high treatment capacity of MBBR systems. Optimization of MBBR systems has largely focused on aspects of carrier design, while little attention has been paid to enhancing strategies for harnessing microbial biomass. Previously, our research group demonstrated that mixed-species biofilms can be harvested from an industrial wastewater inoculum [oil sands process water (OSPW)] using the Calgary Biofilm Device (CBD). Moreover, the resultant biofilm communities had the capacity to degrade organic toxins (naphthenic acids—NAs) that are found in OSPW. Therefore, we hypothesized that harnessing microbial communities from industrial wastewater, as biofilms, on MBBR carriers may be an effective method to bioremediate industrial wastewater.<BR>Here, we detail our methodology adapting the workflow employed for using the CBD, to generate inoculant carriers to seed an MBBR.<BR>In this study, OSPW-derived biofilm communities were successfully grown, and their efficacy evaluated, on commercially available MBBR carriers affixed within a modified CBD system. The resultant biofilms demonstrated the capacity to transfer biomass to recipient carriers within a scaled MBBR. Moreover, MBBR systems inoculated in this manner were fully active 2 days post-inoculation, and readily degraded a select population of NAs. Together, these findings suggest that harnessing microbial communities on carriers affixed within a modified CBD system may represent a facile and rapid method for obtaining functional inoculants for use in wastewater MBBR treatment systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:57:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dea290a0be764c64bf4d63b21d917ab7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2375-1495 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:57:36Z |
| publishDate | 2015-10-01 |
| publisher | AIMS Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIMS Bioengineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-dea290a0be764c64bf4d63b21d917ab72022-12-22T03:43:06ZengAIMS PressAIMS Bioengineering2375-14952015-10-012438740310.3934/bioeng.2015.4.387201504387A novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatmentJoe A. Lemire0Marc A. Demeter1Iain George2Howard Ceri3Raymond J. Turner4Biofilm Research Group, Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary AB, CanadaBiofilm Research Group, Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary AB, CanadaBiofilm Research Group, Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary AB, CanadaBiofilm Research Group, Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary AB, CanadaBiofilm Research Group, Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary AB, CanadaMoving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) are an effective biotechnology for treating industrial wastewater. Biomass retention on moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) carriers (biofilm support materials), allows for the ease-of-operation and high treatment capacity of MBBR systems. Optimization of MBBR systems has largely focused on aspects of carrier design, while little attention has been paid to enhancing strategies for harnessing microbial biomass. Previously, our research group demonstrated that mixed-species biofilms can be harvested from an industrial wastewater inoculum [oil sands process water (OSPW)] using the Calgary Biofilm Device (CBD). Moreover, the resultant biofilm communities had the capacity to degrade organic toxins (naphthenic acids—NAs) that are found in OSPW. Therefore, we hypothesized that harnessing microbial communities from industrial wastewater, as biofilms, on MBBR carriers may be an effective method to bioremediate industrial wastewater.<BR>Here, we detail our methodology adapting the workflow employed for using the CBD, to generate inoculant carriers to seed an MBBR.<BR>In this study, OSPW-derived biofilm communities were successfully grown, and their efficacy evaluated, on commercially available MBBR carriers affixed within a modified CBD system. The resultant biofilms demonstrated the capacity to transfer biomass to recipient carriers within a scaled MBBR. Moreover, MBBR systems inoculated in this manner were fully active 2 days post-inoculation, and readily degraded a select population of NAs. Together, these findings suggest that harnessing microbial communities on carriers affixed within a modified CBD system may represent a facile and rapid method for obtaining functional inoculants for use in wastewater MBBR treatment systems.http://www.aimspress.com/Bioengineering/article/471/fulltext.htmlbiofilmMBBRoil sandwastewaterbioremediation |
| spellingShingle | Joe A. Lemire Marc A. Demeter Iain George Howard Ceri Raymond J. Turner A novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatment AIMS Bioengineering biofilm MBBR oil sand wastewater bioremediation |
| title | A novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatment |
| title_full | A novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatment |
| title_fullStr | A novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatment |
| title_full_unstemmed | A novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatment |
| title_short | A novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatment |
| title_sort | novel approach for harnessing biofilm communities in moving bed biofilm reactors for industrial wastewater treatment |
| topic | biofilm MBBR oil sand wastewater bioremediation |
| url | http://www.aimspress.com/Bioengineering/article/471/fulltext.html |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joealemire anovelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT marcademeter anovelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT iaingeorge anovelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT howardceri anovelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT raymondjturner anovelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT joealemire novelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT marcademeter novelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT iaingeorge novelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT howardceri novelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment AT raymondjturner novelapproachforharnessingbiofilmcommunitiesinmovingbedbiofilmreactorsforindustrialwastewatertreatment |