Abstract
Recalcitrant compounds limit the efficiency of conventional biological processes for wastewater treatment, representing one of the major issues in the field. This study focused on the treatment of three effluents with White-Rot-Fungus (WRF) Bjerkandera adusta MUT 2295 in batch tests, with biomass cultivated in attached form on polyurethane foam cubes (PUFs) to test its efficiency in the removal of the target effluents’ recalcitrant fraction. Treatment efficiency of B. adusta was evaluated on landfill leachate (Canada) and two solutions containing synthetic recalcitrant compounds, which were prepared with tannic and humic acid. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and color removal, the production of manganese peroxidases, and the consumption of a co-substrate (glucose) were monitored during the experiment. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) and fungal dry weight were measured at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. After co-substrate addition, effluent COD was 2300 ± 85, 2545 ± 84, and 2580 ± 95 (mg/L) in raw leachate and tannic and humic acids, respectively. COD removal of 48%, 61%, and 48% was obtained in raw leachate and in the synthetic effluents containing tannic and humic acids, respectively. Color removal of 49%, 25%, and 42% was detected in raw leachate and in tannic and humic acid solutions, respectively. COD and color removals were associated with the increase of fungal dry weight, which was observed in all the trials. These results encourage the use of the selected fungal strain to remove tannic acid, while further investigations are required to optimize leachate and humic acid bioremediation.
Highlights
The concept of recalcitrant compounds was introduced to define structurally novel and naturally occurring compounds resistant to microbial degradation and persistent in the environment for extended periods [1]
The efficiency of White-Rot Fungi (WRF) in degrading recalcitrant molecules is related to their ability to secrete extracellular enzymes such as lignin peroxidases (LiP), manganese peroxidases (MnP), or laccases, which are involved in lignin and lignocellulosic substrate degradation [4]
Variability was found landfill composition, the chemical characterization of the leachate high variability was in found in leachate landfill leachate composition, the chemical characterization of the high variability was found in landfill leachate composition, the chemical characterization of the used in this study is typical of mature and high refractory landfill leachate leachate used in this study is typical of mature and high refractory landfill leachate [3]
Summary
The concept of recalcitrant compounds was introduced to define structurally novel and naturally occurring compounds resistant to microbial degradation and persistent in the environment for extended periods [1]. The presence of these compounds has emerged as a major issue in wastewater treatment processes since the state-of-the-art technologies for their removal are, in general, complex. White-Rot Fungi (WRF) and their extracellular enzymes have been investigated for the removal of hazardous and recalcitrant pollutants [3]. The efficiency of WRF in degrading recalcitrant molecules is related to their ability to secrete extracellular enzymes such as lignin peroxidases (LiP), manganese peroxidases (MnP), or laccases, which are involved in lignin and lignocellulosic substrate degradation [4]. WRF’s potential to depolymerize several compounds, traditionally recalcitrant in conventional wastewater treatment processes, could be exploited as a preliminary step to allow subsequent bacterial degradation [5]
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