Application Of Sulfate-reducing Bacteria Research Articles

The Application of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in the Bioremediation of Heavy Metals and Metalloids

The Application of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in the Bioremediation of Heavy Metals and Metalloids

Covellite nanoparticles with high photocatalytic activity bioproduced by using H2S generated from a sulfidogenic bioreactor

The application of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) has emerged as an efficient biotechnology to reduce sulfate to sulfide and to mediate the precipitation of transition metals as sulfides. In the present work, hydrogen sulfide biogenerated by the SRB was delivered into a copper aqueous solution vessel to produce copper sulfide nanoparticles. The main physico-chemical properties were studied by TEM, XRD, UV–vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, UPS and XPS. In addition, the photocatalytic activities for organic dyes removal were investigated, showing a high degradation rate of MB and RD in aqueous solution. By changing the copper concentration during the synthesis process, main physico-chemical properties of copper sulfides nanoparticles can be controlled. For the lowest concentration, pure covellite flake-like nanostructures were produced. Higher concentrations produced spherical-like shapes with the presence of SO42− on the surface. Experimental results showed a promising way to obtain valorous copper sulfides nanoparticles by using dissimilatory reduction of sulfate mediated by SRB.

Use of sulfate-reducing bacteria and different organic fertilizer for bioremediation of ex-nickel mining soils

The microbiological activity associated with exmining soil remediation can be considered useful to accelerate the contaminant degradation. The use of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and organic matter exhibits potential in improving ex-nickel mining soil quality. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of SRB in several organic fertilizers to reduce sulfate and nickel ions, and to increase pH of soil from nickel in mining areas. This study used the bacteria collection of the Soil Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Muslim Indonesia. Those were previously isolated from two cultivating pond of milkfish in the Kuri area of Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The soil samples were collected from ex-mining areas of the Vale Indonesia Enterprise in Soroako, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Those were mixed with organic fertilizers, generated from sugarcane sludge, manure, and Quickstick (Gliricidia sepium) leaves, each with 50 and 100 g doses. The 5 kg soil samples were put into a pot and mixed evenly with organic fertil- izers. A general linear model (GLM) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was adopted to analyze the data. The results of this study indicate that the application of SRB and fertilizer was effective in reducing concentration of sulfate and nickel. Among the three types of organic fertilizers, manure was effective in reducing sulfate and nickel concentrations, while Quickstick fertilizer was the more effective in stabilizing pH level. Fertilizer doses exhibited a significant effect on decreasing sulfate and nickel concentrations, but it exhibited no significant effect on stabilizing pH levels. At 10 days after treatment (DAT), the sulfate concentration decreased from 2,530 ppm to 1,443 ppm in treatment of SRB and manure with dose of 50 g and 1,363 ppm with that of 100 g. At the end of the observation (30 DAT), those were decreased to 1,217 ppm in treatment of SRB and manure with doses of 50 g and 1,167 ppm with that of 100 g. Among the three types of organic fertilizers used, Quickstick demonstrates the more effective reduction rate. At 10 DAT, pH increased in SRB treatment by 7.06 at a concentration of 50 g and 7.01 at a concentration of 50 g. At the end of the observation (30 DAT), the pH became 6.67 at a concentration of 50 g and 6.82 at a concentration of 50 g. The nickel concentration decreased from an origin concentration to 1,950 ppm in treatment of SRB and manure with doses of 50 g and 1,690 ppm with that of 100 g. Thus, the application of manure fertilizer and the addition of SRB is recommended for bioremediation of sulfate and nickel from ex-mining soil.

Effect of sulphate reducing bacteria and ameliorants on nutrient status of N and P in acid sulphate soil

The application of sulphate-reducing bacteria is expected to reduce the use of lime in increasing the fertility of acid sulphate soils and the growth of corn plants. This study aimed to determine the effect of sulphate-reducing bacteria and ameliorant on shoot dry weight and N and P nutrient status in corn. This research was conducted in the Greenhouse and Soil Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara using factorial randomized block design with 2 factors. The first factor was sulphate-reducing bacteria, namely B0 = without bacteria application (Control) and B1 = with sulphate-reducing bacteria and the second factor was soil ameliorant, namely P0 = without ameliorant (control); P1 = OPEFB Organic Material; P2 = OPEFB Organic material + NPK fertilizer; P3 = CaCO3 + NPK fertilizer with 4 replications. The results showed that sulphate-reducing bacteria could increase the shoot dry weight but the application of ameliorants, especially organic matter + NPK and CaCO3 + NPK, besides increasing the shoot dry weight also increasing the plant N uptake and P uptake. The interaction of Sulphate Reducing Bacteria and Ameliorants did not significantly affect all parameters observed.

Sulphate-Reducing Bacteria’s Response to Extreme pH Environments and the Effect of Their Activities on Microbial Corrosion

Sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are dominant species causing corrosion of various types of materials. However, they also play a beneficial role in bioremediation due to their tolerance of extreme pH conditions. The application of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in bioremediation and control methods for microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in extreme pH environments requires an understanding of the microbial activities in these conditions. Recent studies have found that in order to survive and grow in high alkaline/acidic condition, SRB have developed several strategies to combat the environmental challenges. The strategies mainly include maintaining pH homeostasis in the cytoplasm and adjusting metabolic activities leading to changes in environmental pH. The change in pH of the environment and microbial activities in such conditions can have a significant impact on the microbial corrosion of materials. These bacteria strategies to combat extreme pH environments and their effect on microbial corrosion are presented and discussed.

Transcriptome Analysis of the Acid Stress Response of Desulfovibrio vulgaris ATCC 7757

The application of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) shows great potential in the anaerobic biological treatment of acid mine wastewater; therefore, it has attracted much attention. The low pH in acidic wastewater affects the growth and reducing power of SRB. To uncover the mechanism underlying the reduction efficiency of SRB under acidic conditions, in this study, transcriptomic analysis was performed with Desulfovibrio vulgaris ATCC 7757 under three different pH conditions (pH 4.0, 5.5 and 7.0) and in the initial inoculation, logarithmic growth and plateau phases. Our results showed that ATCC 7757 still had biological activity at pH 4.0 and exhibited gene expression patterns at pH 4.0 that were different from those at pH 5.5 and pH 7. Importantly, the gene expression pattern was similar between pH 5.5 and pH 7. Transcriptomic analysis identified differentially expressed genes that affected the growth of ATCC 7757 under pH 7.0 at 22h compared to 15h; 196 of these genes were upregulated and 575 were downregulated. These differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in genetic information processing and metabolism. Additionally, we identified 57 candidate genes associated with low-pH tolerance. Adaptation to low pH was reflected by an increase in the expression of genes involved in cell membrane structure and proton transport. The expression of genes involved in the reduction process decreased, including the genes DVU0499 and sat, which encode proteins that affect the sulfate reduction process. Both gene activities were validated by qPCR. Our results will contribute to further promoting the reducing power of SRB in acid mine wastewater and the development of successful bioremediation strategies.

Sulfate reducing bacteria applied to domestic wastewater

Abstract The application of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) to treat municipal wastewater is seldom considered. For instance, due to low sludge yield it can reduce the amount of excess sludge produced significantly. Several studies, mainly at laboratory-scale, revealed that SRB can proliferate in artificial wastewater systems at temperatures of 20°C and lower. So far, the application of SRB in a domestic wastewater treatment plant has been limited. Therefore, this study evaluates the proliferation of SRB at pilot-scale in a moderate climate. This study revealed that SRB were present and active in the pilot fed with domestic wastewater at 13°C, and outcompete methanogens. Stable, smooth and well-settled granule formation occurred, which is beneficial for full-scale application. In the Netherlands the sulfate concentration is usually low (<500 mg/L), therefore the application of SRB seems challenging as sulfate is limiting. Additional measurements indicated the presence of other sulfur sources, therefore higher sulfur levels were available, which makes it possible to remove more than 75% of the chemical oxygen demand (excluding sulfide) based on SRB activity. The beneficial application of SRB to domestic wastewater treatment might therefore be valid for more locations than initially expected.

Effects of Chemical Oxygen Demand, Nutrients and Salinity on Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria

Abstract As a result of seawater intrusion in sewer systems or due to seawater toilet flushing, domestic wastewater may contain significant amounts of sulfate, which might lead to sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) activity. Because of the low biomass sludge-yield of SRB, application of SRB is beneficial for reduction of sludge treatment costs. Moreover, the produced sulfide helps to remove heavy metals from treated water. In this study, short-term (6 h) effect on sulfate reduction rate of chemical oxygen demand (COD), N, P, SO42−, and salinity variations, far beyond (10-fold) the regular concentrations in municipal wastewater, was investigated. Increased propionate levels (>1,000 mg COD/L) have shown to reduce sulfate reduction rate, while acetate up to 4,000 mg COD/L did not. Nitrate became inhibitory at levels higher than 500 mg N/L, due to formation of nitrite (<10 mg N/L). Higher concentrations of ammonium and phosphate did not lead to a change in the sulfate reduction rate. Increased salinity decreased...

Potential for beneficial application of sulfate reducing bacteria in sulfate containing domestic wastewater treatment.

The activity of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is often considered as a problem due to H2S formation and potential related odour and corrosion of materials. However, when controlled well, these bacteria can be effectively used in a positive manner for the treatment of wastewater. The main advantages of using SRB in wastewater treatment are: (1) minimal sludge production, (2) reduction of potential pathogens presence, (3) removal of heavy metals and (4) as pre-treatment of anaerobic digestion. These advantages are accessory to efficient and stable COD removal by SRB. Though only a few studies have been conducted on SRB treatment of domestic wastewater, the many studies performed on industrial wastewater provide information on the potential of SRB in domestic wastewater treatment. A key-parameter analyses literature study comprising pH, organic substrates, sulfate, salt, temperature and oxygen revealed that the conditions are well suited for the application of SRB in domestic wastewater treatment. Since the application of SRB in WWTP has environmental benefits its application is worth considering for wastewater treatment, when sulfate is present in the influent.

Long-Term Effect of Seawater on Sulfate Reduction in Wastewater Treatment

Abstract In sulfate-rich saline wastewater, biological sulfate reduction can occur spontaneously or applied beneficially for its treatment. Although application of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on saline domestic wastewater, obtained by seawater-based toilet flushing for instance has been suggested repeatedly, no study on the effect of applicability in the complete range of seawater concentration has been performed (salinity range of 0–3.5% and sulfate concentration of 0–2500 mg/L). The present article examines the long-term effect of seawater on biological sulfate reduction using three sequencing batch reactors fed with different volumetric fractions of seawater and freshwater. To evaluate this effect, the effluent quality, sulfate reduction rate, and microbial population in the reactors were investigated. The biomass-specific biological sulfate reduction rate decreased significantly (∼45%) when salinity increased from 0.7% to 3.5%, while total organics removal remained unaffected. Differences in micro...

The Metal And Sulphate Removal From Mine Drainage Waters By Biological-Chemical Ways

Abstract Mine drainage waters are often characterized by high concentrations of sulphates and metals as a consequence of the mining industry of sulphide minerals. The aims of this work are to prove some biological-chemical processes utilization for the mine drainage water treatment. The studied principles of contamination elimination from these waters include sulphate reduction and metal bioprecipitation by the application of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Other studied process was metal sorption by prepared biogenic sorbent. Mine drainage waters from Slovak localities Banská Štiavnica and Smolník were used to the pollution removal examination. In Banská Štiavnica water, sulphates decreased below the legislative limit. The elimination of zinc by sorption experiments achieved 84 % and 65 %, respectively.

Temperature effect on acetate and propionate consumption by sulfate-reducing bacteria in saline wastewater

Seawater toilet flushing, seawater intrusion in the sewerage, and discharge of sulfate-rich industrial effluents elevates sulfate content in wastewater. The application of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in wastewater treatment is very beneficial; as for example, it improves the pathogen removal and reduces the volume of waste sludge, energy requirement and costs. This paper evaluates the potential to apply biological sulfate reduction using acetate and propionate to saline sewage treatment in moderate climates. Long-term biological sulfate reduction experiments at 10 and 20°C were conducted in a sequencing batch reactor with synthetic saline domestic wastewater. Subsequently, acetate and propionate (soluble organic carbon) conversion rate were determined in both reactors, in the presence of either or both fatty acids. Both acetate and propionate consumption rates by SRB were 1.9 times lower at 10°C than at 20°C. At 10°C, propionate was incompletely oxidized to acetate. At 10°C, complete removal of soluble organic carbon requires a significantly increased hydraulic retention time as compared to 20°C. The results of the study showed that biological sulfate reduction can be a feasible and promising process for saline wastewater treatment in moderate climate.

Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage by Means of Biological and Chemical Methods

The formation and treatment of acid mine drainage is the biggest environmental problems relating to mining and processing activities in the worldwide. Various methods are used for the sulphates and heavy metals removal from acid mine drainage in the world, but any of them is universal. Main aim of the paper is the interpretation of chemical and biological-chemical methods for the metals and sulphates removal from acid mine drainage sample. The chemical method is based on the sulphates precipitation by the sodium aluminate in combination with the calcium hydrate. The biological-chemical method is based on the application of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). A sample of acid mine drainage from the abandoned and flooded deposit of Smolník located in Slovak republic was used in this study.

Sorption of Copper Ions by Biogenic Iron Sulphides

Biogenic iron sulphides are excellent adsorbents for various heavy metals ions. Consequently, they have practical application for the elimination of heavy metals from waste waters. One of the principles for the iron sulphides preparation is the application of sulphatereducing bacteria. This biological-chemical method is based on the ability of these bacteria to reduce sulphates to hydrogen sulphide, which binds with the ferrous cations to form insoluble precipitates – iron sulphides. Under certain bacterial growth conditions biogenic iron sulphides can be magnetic. The aim of this work is to study the possibility of using SRB for the preparation of iron sulphides, which were used subsequently in the framework of sorption tests to eliminate copper ions from model solutions.

Factors affecting the degradation of ballast substances from citric acid production by sulphate-reducing bacteria

The purification of effluents from citric acid production is quite a difficult technical problem. This is due to the concentration and character of ballast substances present there, including betaine, proteins, amines, volatile and non-volatile acids, dyes, mineral salts (especially sulphate) etc. In Czechoslovakia from the year 1935 to 1953 some of the sewage waters originating during citric acid production were decontaminated with the aid of the so-called methane fermentation carried out according to a patent of the Dansk Gaerungs Industrie (1933, 1935). In this process, however, not all types of sewage water could be dealt with directly and some of them had to be pretreated prior to the process, at a considerable cost. In addition to this, the time required for destruction of the ballast substances was not adequate to the fermentation period and to the effect obtained. Using this method, it was possible within 15 to 20 days of fermentation to decrease the oxidizability (expressed by a 4-hour permanganate test) from 12,000--15,800 to 4200--5800 mg. O8/1. which corresponds to a purification effect of 63.5--65%. In the newly described method of decontamination of these waters the sulphate-reducing bacteria of the genus Desulfovibrio were made use of. I t is well-known that these bacteria possess the ability to utilize a wide spectrum of organic substances as hydrogen donators and oxygenous compounds of sulphur as the source of growth energy. In this way, the above bacteria can oxidize organic substances down to carbon dioxide. The rate of the process can be increased by the presence of some symbiotic bacteria such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus mycoides, Aerobacter (Ktipsiz, 1928; Rubenchik, 1947; Barta & Gr@gr 1953, 1958. I t is for this reason that in the decontamination process various accompanying bacterial types are employed according to the type of the water. The purification process is carried out anaerobically, continuously and by multi-stage procedures. Butlin (1958) prefers to use sulphate-reducing bacteria in combination with methane bacteria for fermenting sludge of municipal filter stations and enriches the environment by waste sulphate. In the process a gas rich in hydrogen sulphide is produced. Bar ta and Gr@gr (1953) introduced the application of sulphate-reducing bacteria m combination with bacteria splitting betaine for purification of yeast-producttion sewage waters. The solution of the purification of yeast-production wastes with the aid of sulphate reducers resulted then in the application of this method to sewage waters from citric acid production. By using this method the fermentation period is reduced to 5--6 days giving a permanganate purification value of 78% (calculated from annual averages), an improvement expressed by the BOC 5 value amounting to 81.3% and a reduction of sulphate of 70~o. The present communication deals with factors contributing to a better understand-