Abstract
To understand the role of ubiquitous phototrophic periphyton in aquatic ecosystem on the biogeochemical cycling of organic phosphorus, the conversion and removal kinetic characteristics of organic phosphorus (Porg) such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were investigated in the presence of the periphyton cultured in artificial non-point source wastewater. The preliminary results showed that the periphyton was very powerful in converting Porg evidenced by the fact that inorganic phosphorus (Pinorg) content in solution increased from about 0.7 to 14.3 mg P L−1 in 48 hours in the presence of 0.6 g L−1 periphyton. This was because the periphyton could produce abundant phosphatases that benefited the conversion of Porg to Pinrog. Moreover, this conversion process was described more suitable by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The periphyton was also effective in removing Porg, which showed that the Porg can be completely removed even when the initial Porg concentration was as high as 13 mg P L−1 in 48 hours in the presence of 1.6 g L−1 periphyton. Furthermore, it was found that biosorption dominated the Porg removal process and exhibited the characteristics of physical adsorption. However, this biosorption process by the periphyton was significantly influenced by biomass (absorbent dosage) and temperature. This work provides insights into Porg biogeochemical circulation of aquatic ecosystem that contained the periphyton or similar microbial aggregates.
Highlights
The discharge of excessive phosphorus into isolated water bodies will accelerate the eutrophication process
Characteristics of the phototrophic periphyton It was observed that the periphyton was mainly composed of green algae, diatoms, bacteria, and protozoa, which was dominated by phototrophic algae (Fig.1)
There are many advantages of the periphyton itself - it is environmentally friendly, economically viable and operationally simple. This phosphorus removal, recovery and reusing technologies based on the periphyton will have vast practical potentials, it is dependent on numerous factors such as light, temperature, water column phosphorus concentration, water flow velocity, the growth stage and thickness of periphyton [40,41]
Summary
The discharge of excessive phosphorus into isolated water bodies will accelerate the eutrophication process These water bodies such as lakes and dams suffer from severe water quality problems that are closely linked with the excessive phosphorus inputs from various pollution sources. Organic phosphorus (Porg) commonly includes nucleic acids, phospholipids, inositol phosphates, phosphoamides, phosphoproteins, sugar phosphates, amino phosphoric acids and organic condensed phosphorus species. It is often at least as abundant as (sometimes great excess of) inorganic phosphorus (Pinorg) in natural water bodies and sediments [4]. Porg is typically not susceptible to the traditional removal technologies for the inorganic phosphorus [11], which may be due to its complicated species and chemical dynamics
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