Biological removal of 17a-ethinylestradiol by a nitrifier enrichment culture in a membrane bioreactor

Bart De Gusseme; Benny Pycke; Tom Hennebel; Annabel Marcoen; Siegfried  E. Vlaeminck; Herlinde Noppe; Nico Boon; Willy Verstraete; Rob Van Houdt

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2009.02.028

Biological removal of 17a-ethinylestradiol by a nitrifier enrichment culture in a membrane bioreactor

Bart De Gusseme, Benny Pycke, Tom Hennebel, Annabel Marcoen, Siegfried E. Vlaeminck, Herlinde Noppe, Nico Boon, Willy Verstraete, Rob Van Houdt

Research output › peer-review

Abstract

Increasing concern about the fate of 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in the environment stimulates the search for alternative methods for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent polishing. The aim of this study was to establish an innovative and effective biological removal technique for EE2 by means of a nitrifier enrichment culture (NEC) applied in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). In batch incubation tests, the microbial consortium was able to remove EE2 from both a synthetic minimal medium and WWTP effluent. Incubation of the heterotrophic bacteria isolated from the NEC did not result in a significant EE2 removal, indicating the importance of nitrification as driving force in the mechanism. Application of the NEC in a MBR to treat a synthetic influent with an EE2 concentration of 83 ng EE2 L!1 resulted in a removal efficiency of 99%. Simultaneously, complete nitrification was achieved at an optimal ammonium influent concentration of 1.0 mg NH4þ-N L!1. This minimal NH4þ-N input is very advantageous for effluent polishing since the concomitant effluent nitrate concentrations will be low as well and it offers opportunities for the nitrifying MBR as a promising add-on technology for WWTP effluent polishing.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2493-2503
Journal	Water Research
Volume	43
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2009.02.028
State	Published - Feb 2009

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title = "Biological removal of 17a-ethinylestradiol by a nitrifier enrichment culture in a membrane bioreactor",

abstract = "Increasing concern about the fate of 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in the environment stimulates the search for alternative methods for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent polishing. The aim of this study was to establish an innovative and effective biological removal technique for EE2 by means of a nitrifier enrichment culture (NEC) applied in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). In batch incubation tests, the microbial consortium was able to remove EE2 from both a synthetic minimal medium and WWTP effluent. Incubation of the heterotrophic bacteria isolated from the NEC did not result in a significant EE2 removal, indicating the importance of nitrification as driving force in the mechanism. Application of the NEC in a MBR to treat a synthetic influent with an EE2 concentration of 83 ng EE2 L!1 resulted in a removal efficiency of 99%. Simultaneously, complete nitrification was achieved at an optimal ammonium influent concentration of 1.0 mg NH4{\th}-N L!1. This minimal NH4{\th}-N input is very advantageous for effluent polishing since the concomitant effluent nitrate concentrations will be low as well and it offers opportunities for the nitrifying MBR as a promising add-on technology for WWTP effluent polishing.",

keywords = "Micropollutants, Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), Pharmaceuticals, Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), Microfiltration",

author = "{De Gusseme}, Bart and Benny Pycke and Tom Hennebel and Annabel Marcoen and Vlaeminck, {Siegfried E.} and Herlinde Noppe and Nico Boon and Willy Verstraete and {Van Houdt}, Rob",

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T1 - Biological removal of 17a-ethinylestradiol by a nitrifier enrichment culture in a membrane bioreactor

AU - De Gusseme, Bart

AU - Pycke, Benny

AU - Hennebel, Tom

AU - Marcoen, Annabel

AU - Vlaeminck, Siegfried E.

AU - Noppe, Herlinde

AU - Boon, Nico

AU - Verstraete, Willy

A2 - Van Houdt, Rob

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N2 - Increasing concern about the fate of 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in the environment stimulates the search for alternative methods for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent polishing. The aim of this study was to establish an innovative and effective biological removal technique for EE2 by means of a nitrifier enrichment culture (NEC) applied in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). In batch incubation tests, the microbial consortium was able to remove EE2 from both a synthetic minimal medium and WWTP effluent. Incubation of the heterotrophic bacteria isolated from the NEC did not result in a significant EE2 removal, indicating the importance of nitrification as driving force in the mechanism. Application of the NEC in a MBR to treat a synthetic influent with an EE2 concentration of 83 ng EE2 L!1 resulted in a removal efficiency of 99%. Simultaneously, complete nitrification was achieved at an optimal ammonium influent concentration of 1.0 mg NH4þ-N L!1. This minimal NH4þ-N input is very advantageous for effluent polishing since the concomitant effluent nitrate concentrations will be low as well and it offers opportunities for the nitrifying MBR as a promising add-on technology for WWTP effluent polishing.

AB - Increasing concern about the fate of 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in the environment stimulates the search for alternative methods for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent polishing. The aim of this study was to establish an innovative and effective biological removal technique for EE2 by means of a nitrifier enrichment culture (NEC) applied in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). In batch incubation tests, the microbial consortium was able to remove EE2 from both a synthetic minimal medium and WWTP effluent. Incubation of the heterotrophic bacteria isolated from the NEC did not result in a significant EE2 removal, indicating the importance of nitrification as driving force in the mechanism. Application of the NEC in a MBR to treat a synthetic influent with an EE2 concentration of 83 ng EE2 L!1 resulted in a removal efficiency of 99%. Simultaneously, complete nitrification was achieved at an optimal ammonium influent concentration of 1.0 mg NH4þ-N L!1. This minimal NH4þ-N input is very advantageous for effluent polishing since the concomitant effluent nitrate concentrations will be low as well and it offers opportunities for the nitrifying MBR as a promising add-on technology for WWTP effluent polishing.

KW - Micropollutants

KW - Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs)

KW - Pharmaceuticals

KW - Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)

KW - Microfiltration

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