Swirl Flow Bioreactor coupled with Cu-alginate beads: A system for the eradication of Coliform and Escherichia coli from biological effluents.

Sov Atkinson,Anand Bansode,Michael J Allen,Rachel M Bransgrove,Simon F Thomas,Paul T Mason,Andrew Whitesell,Ajeet Oak,Zachary D Gleason,Marissa K Sim,Paul Goddard,Rohit Patankar

doi:10.1038/srep09461

Abstract

It is estimated that approximately 1.1 billion people globally drink unsafe water. We previously reported both a novel copper-alginate bead, which quickly reduces pathogen loading in waste streams and the incorporation of these beads into a novel swirl flow bioreactor (SFB), of low capital and running costs and of simple construction from commercially available plumbing pipes and fittings. The purpose of the present study was to trial this system for pathogen reduction in waste streams from an operating Dewats system in Hinjewadi, Pune, India and in both simulated and real waste streams in Seattle, Washington, USA. The trials in India, showed a complete inactivation of coliforms in the discharged effluent (Mean Log removal Value (MLRV) = 3.51), accompanied by a total inactivation of E. coli with a MLRV of 1.95. The secondary clarifier effluent also showed a 4.38 MLRV in viable coliforms during treatment. However, the system was slightly less effective in reducing E. coli viability, with a MLRV of 1.80. The trials in Seattle also demonstrated the efficacy of the system in the reduction of viable bacteria, with a LRV of 5.67 observed of viable Raoultella terrigena cells (100%).

Highlights

It is estimated that approximately 1.1 billion people globally drink unsafe water
In the course of this paper we describe the trialling of this system for pathogen reduction in waste streams from an operating Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (Dewats) system in Hinjewadi, Pune, India and in both simulated and real waste streams in Seattle, Washington, USA
The resulting effluent was of clean appearance with a pH of 7.2, and of a low suspended solid content and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) at 55 and 9 mg/L respectively (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

It is estimated that approximately 1.1 billion people globally drink unsafe water. We previously reported both a novel copper-alginate bead, which quickly reduces pathogen loading in waste streams and the incorporation of these beads into a novel swirl flow bioreactor (SFB), of low capital and running costs and of simple construction from commercially available plumbing pipes and fittings. Such areas often have no or poor planning, and are typically occupied by poorer communities, either migrating from rural locales or displaced from more expensive urban locations[7,8] Often such areas have no access to centralised wastewater treatment and the cost of the extension of existing provisions is prohibitive[5,6,7], the innovative use of existing and novel strategies for the decentralised www.nature.com/scientificreports treatment of waste are required, often on a site-specific basis[7,9,10,11]. Secondary treatment options, based on sand filters, provide effective removal of pathogens in areas with deep permeable soils, but are ineffective in other locales with highly permeable soil type[15]. For a comprehensive review of existing treatment options, consult Massoud et al[11] and Parkinson and Taylor[13]

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