• Energy Research

Oxygen and sulfide in ocean sediments can be consumed biologically over long spatial distances by way of filamentous bacteria in electron-conducting sheaths. To analyse observations, a mathematical model of these filamentous sulfur-oxidising bacteria was developed, including electrical conduction between reactive zones. Mechanisms include Nernst-Planck diffusion and migration of ions coupled with Ohm's law for conduction along filaments, and metabolic activity throughout the filaments. Simulations predict outward biomass growth toward the boundaries of the sediment floor and top surface, resulting in two distinct zones with anode (sulfide consumption) and cathode (oxygen consumption) reactions enabled by electron conduction. Results show inward fluxes of 4.6 mmol O2/m(2)/d and 2.5 mmol S/m(2)/d, with consumption increasing with growth to final fluxes of 8.2 mmol O2/m(2)/d and 4.34 mmol S/m(2)/d. Qualitatively, the effect of varying cell conductivity and substrate affinity is evaluated. Controlling mechanisms are identified to shift from biomass limitation, to substrate limitation, and to conductivity limitations as the lengths of the filaments increase. While most observed data are reflected in the simulation results, a key discrepancy is the lower growth rates, which are largely fixed by thermodynamics, indicating that microbes may utilise secondary substrates or an alternative metabolism.

A cyclic anaerobic/aerobic bubble column reactor was run for 420 days to study the competition for nitrite between nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (Anammox) at low temperatures. An anaerobic feeding period with nitrite and ammonium in the influent followed by an aerated period was applied resulting in a biomass specific conversion rate of 0.18 ± 0.02 [gN(2) - N · gVSS(-1)· day(-1)] when the dissolved oxygen concentration was maintained at 1.0 mgO(2) · L(-1). An increase in white granules was observed in the reactor which were mainly located at the top of the settled sludge bed, whereas red granules were located at the bottom. FISH, activity tests, and qPCR techniques revealed that red biomass was dominated by Anammox bacteria and white granules by NOB. Granules from the top of the sludge bed were smaller and therefore had a higher aerobic volume fraction, a lower density, and consequently a slower settling rate. Sludge was manually removed from the top of the settled sludge bed to selectively remove NOB which resulted in an increased overall biomass specific N-conversion rate of 0.32 ± 0.02 [gN(2) - N · gVSS(-1) · day(-1)]. Biomass segregation in granular sludge reactors gives an extra opportunity to select for specific microbial groups by applying a different SRT for different microbial groups.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a basis for selecting alcohols (i.e. ethanol and methanol) or short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs) (i.e. acetate and propionate) as the external carbon sources for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) from wastewaters in adapted or unadapted activated sludge. When ethanol is used in an unacclimated process, a period of adaptation is required by polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs). From 0 to 140 days of ethanol acclimatizing, the P release and uptake rates increased to 6.2 and 7.0 mgP-PO(3)4(-)g(-1)VSSh(-1), respectively. PAOs in ethanol-enriched sludge produced poly-beta-hydroxyvalerate (PHV) (81.9%) as the main polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and reached an effluent phosphate concentration close to zero (0.10 mgP-PO(3)4(-)L(-1)). On the other hand, methanol was not used by PAOs in 30-day ethanol-acclimated sludge in short-term tests. If EBPR needs to be incidentally supported by substrate addition, VFAs are preferred; for long-term addition also ethanol can be considered.

A two-dimensional pore-scale numerical model was developed to evaluate the dynamics of preferential flow paths in porous media caused by bioclogging. The liquid flow and solute transport through the pore network were coupled with a biofilm model including biomass attachment, growth, decay, lysis, and detachment. Blocking of all but one flow path was obtained under constant liquid inlet flow rate and biomass detachment caused by shear forces only. The stable flow path formed when biofilm detachment balances growth, even with biomass weakened by decay. However, shear forces combined with biomass lysis upon starvation could produce an intermittently shifting location of flow channels. Dynamic flow pathways may also occur when combined liquid shear and pressure forces act on the biofilm. In spite of repeated clogging and unclogging of interconnected pore spaces, the average permeability reached a quasi-constant value. Oscillations in the medium permeability were more pronounced for weaker biofilms.

Nitrogen removal in side stream processes offers a good potential for upgrading wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that need to meet stricter effluent standards. Removing nutrients from these internal process flows significantly reduces the N-load to the main treatment plant. These internal flows mainly result from the sludge processing and have a high temperature and a high concentration of ammonia. Therefore, the required reactor volumes as well as the required aerobic SRT are small. Generally, biological treatment processes are more economical and preferred over physical–chemical processes. Recently, several biological treatment processes have been introduced for sludge water treatment. These processes are available now on the activated sludge market (e.g. SHARON®, ANAMMOX® and BABE® processes). The technologies differ in concept and in the limitations guiding the application of these processes for upgrading WWTPs. This paper reviews and compares different biological alternatives for nitrogen removal in side streams. The limitations for selecting a technology from the available ones in the activated sludge market are noted and analysed. It is stressed that the choice for a certain process is based on more aspects than pure process engineering arguments.

The mathematical modeling of spatial biofilm formation that provides the capability to predict biofilm structure from first principles has been in development for the past six years. However, a direct and quantitative link between model predictions and the experimentally observed structure formation still remains to be established. This work assesses the capability of a state-of-the-art technique for three-dimensional (3D) modeling of biofilm structure, individual based modeling (IbM), to quantitatively describe the early development of a multispecies denitrifying biofilm. Model evaluation was carried out by comparison of predicted structure with that observed from two experimental datasets using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) monitoring of biofilm development in laboratory flowcells. Experimental conditions provided biofilm growth without substrate limitation, which was confirmed from substrate profiles computed by the model. 3D structures were compared quantitatively using a set of morphological parameters including the biovolume, filled-space profiles, substratum coverage, average thickness and normalized roughness. In spite of the different morphologies detectable in the two independent short-term experiments analyzed here, the model was capable of accurate fitting data from both experiments. Prediction of structure formation was precise, as expressed by the set of morphology parameters used.

ABSTRACTThe syntrophic cooperation between hydrogen‐producing acetogens and hydrogenotrophic methanogens relies on a critical balance between both partners. A recent study, provided several indications for the dependence of the biomass‐specific growth rate of a methanogenic coculture on the acetogen. Nevertheless, final experimental proof was lacking since biomass‐specific rates were obtained from a descriptive model, and not from direct measurement of individual biomass concentrations. In this study, a recently developed quantitative PCR approach was used to measure the individual biomass concentrations in the coculture of Desulfovibrio sp. G11 and Methanospirillum hungatei JF1 on lactate, formate or both. The model‐derived growth yields and biomass‐specific rates were successfully validated. Experimental findings identified the acetogen as the growth‐limiting partner in the coculture on lactate. While the acetogen was operating at its maximum biomass‐specific lactate consumption rate, the hydrogenotrophic methanogen showed a significant overcapacity. Furthermore, this study provides experimental evidence for different growth strategies followed by the syntrophic partners in order to maintain a common biomass‐specific growth rate. During syntrophic lactate conversion, the biomass‐specific electron transfer rate of Methanospirillum hungatei JF1 was three‐fold higher compared to Desulfovibrio sp. G11. This is to compensate for the lower methanogenic biomass yield per electron‐mole of substrate, which is dictated by the thermodynamics of the underlying reaction. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 560–567. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Although the water cycle is only a minor contributor to the energy demand in society, it is a matter of good housekeeping to minimize the energy need within a sustainable water cycle. Wastewater treatment should not only be applied to purify the water, but also recover the energy present in this water, as well as to recover essential elements like nitrogen and phosphorus. From an energy analysis of the Dutch water cycle it is concluded that creating an energy neutral water cycle by using the heat content or by making use of the organic load of wastewater is within hands.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from waste streams using microbial enrichment cultures is a promising option for cost price reduction of this biopolymer. For proper understanding and successful optimization of the process, a consistent mechanistic model for PHA conversion by microbial enrichment cultures is needed. However, there is still a lack of mechanistic expressions describing the dynamics of the feast-famine process. The scope of this article is to provide an overview of the current models, investigate points of improvement, and contribute concepts for creation of a generalized model with more predictive value for the feast-famine process. Based on experimental data available in literature we have proposed model improvements for (i) modeling mixed substrates uptake, (ii) growth in the feast phase, (iii) switching between feast and famine phase, (iv) PHA degradation and (v) modeling the accumulation phase. Finally, we provide an example of a simple uniform model. Herewith we aim to give an impulse to the establishment of a generalized model.