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Fermentation
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Research Progress of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment
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Research Progress of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Fermentation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2022) | Viewed by 18596

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Parveen Fatemeh Rupani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agrifood and Environment, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK
Interests: biomass and waste; energy and the environment; renewable rnergy; waste management and resource efficiency
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Lise Appels

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Process and Environmental Technology Lab, KU Leuven, Jan Pieter De Nayerlaan 5, B-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Interests: environmental engineering; waste management; wastewater treatment; anaerobic digestion; fermentation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Industrial activities are responsible for the generation and release of various types of organic micropollutants, which often end up in wastewaters, in items such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), detergents, disinfectants, and insect repellents. Without effective treatment, these persistent pollutants pass through wastewater treatment systems and enter the aquatic environment, causing different adverse effects. They also have toxic effects on the microorganisms present in biological treatment systems. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one such system, involving coordinated action between Bacteria and Archaea to convert complex organic matter into energy-rich biogas and residual digestate streams. Although the application of AD is considered useful for degrading different organic pollutants, information regarding the effect of microorganisms on the degradation pathway of micropollutants is still under investigation. The improvement of the AD process, therefore, requires additional investigation of the role of microorganisms and the further understanding of the metabolic pathway.

This Special Issue of Fermentation aims to publish in-depth technical research papers and experimental and numerical review papers addressing recent progress in the degradation of pollutants of ongoing concern in wastewater treatment systems during the anaerobic digestion process, with a specific focus on the investigation of microbial development and the identification of the metabolic pathway. Strong and innovative research works involving bioinformatic analysis that can further improve our understanding of the genetic makeup of microorganisms and further revolutionize microbial genetic engineering will be prioritized.

Dr. Parveen Fatemeh Rupani
Prof. Dr. Lise Appels
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wastewater treatment
  • organic pollutants
  • persistent micropollutants
  • biological degradation
  • anaerobic digestion
  • fermentation
  • microbial community
  • metabolic pathway

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 2036 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Comparative Growth Kinetics of Paenarthrobacter ureafaciens YL1 in the Biodegradation of Sulfonamide Antibiotics Based on Substituent Structures and Substrate Toxicity
by Lan Yu, Yingning Wang, Junjie Xin, Fang Ma and Haijuan Guo
Fermentation 2022, 8(12), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8120742 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1887
Abstract
The high consumption and emission of sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) have a considerable threat to humans and ecosystems, so there is a need to develop safer and more effective methods than conventional strategies for the optimal removal of these compounds. In this study, four [...] Read more.
The high consumption and emission of sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) have a considerable threat to humans and ecosystems, so there is a need to develop safer and more effective methods than conventional strategies for the optimal removal of these compounds. In this study, four SAs with different substituents, sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamerazine (SMR), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and sulfamethazine (SMZ) were removed by a pure culture of Paenarthrobacter ureafaciens YL1. The effect of the initial SAs concentration on the growth rate of strain YL1 was investigated. The results showed that the strain YL1 effectively removed various SAs in the concentration range of 0.05–2.4 mmol·L−1. The Haldane model was used to perform simulations of the experimental data, and the regression coefficient of the model indicated that the model had a good predictive ability. During SAs degradation, the maximum specific growth rate of strain YL1 was ranked as SMX > SDZ > SMR > SMZ with constants of 0.311, 0.304, 0.302, and 0.285 h−1, respectively. In addition, the biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) with a five-membered substituent was the fastest, while the six-membered substituent of SMZ was the slowest based on the parameters of the kinetic equation. Also, density functional theory (DFT) calculations such as frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), and molecular electrostatic potential map analysis were performed. It was evidenced that different substituents in SAs can affect the molecular orbital distribution and their stability, which led to the differences in the growth rate of strain YL1 and the degradation rate of SAs. Furthermore, the toxicity of P. ureafaciens is one of the crucial factors affecting the biodegradation rate: the more toxic the substrate and the degradation product are, the slower the microorganism grows. This study provides a theoretical basis for effective bioremediation using microorganisms in SAs-contaminated environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment)
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15 pages, 2300 KiB  
Article
Maximizing Nitrogen Removal and Lipid Production by Microalgae under Mixotrophic Growth Using Response Surface Methodology: Towards Enhanced Biodiesel Production
by Abdelfatah Abomohra, Mei Li, Shah Faisal, Li Li and Mahdy Elsayed
Fermentation 2022, 8(12), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8120682 - 27 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2799
Abstract
The present study aimed to optimize synthetic wastewater composition as a mixotrophic medium for enhanced growth and lipid accumulation coupled with high nitrogen removal by the green microalga Chlorella sp. Individual effects of the three main independent variables (nitrate concentration, seawater ratio, and [...] Read more.
The present study aimed to optimize synthetic wastewater composition as a mixotrophic medium for enhanced growth and lipid accumulation coupled with high nitrogen removal by the green microalga Chlorella sp. Individual effects of the three main independent variables (nitrate concentration, seawater ratio, and glycerol supplementation) were tested initially, then response surface methodology (RSM) was subsequently performed to explore the optimum combined conditions. The highest lipid productivity of 37.60 mg/L day was recorded at 25% seawater. Glycerol supplementation enhanced both lipid content and biomass production, which resulted in the highest recorded lipid productivity of 42.61 mg/L day at 4 g/L glycerol. Central composite design followed by numerical optimization was further applied which suggested NaNO3 concentration at 101.5 mg/L, seawater ration of 23.8%, and glycerol supplementation of 0.25 g/L as the optimum conditions for dual maximum lipid productivity and nitrogen removal of 46.9 mg/L day and 98.0%, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, dry weight and lipid content increased by 31.9% and 20.3%, respectively, over the control, which resulted in increase in lipid productivity by 71.5%. In addition, optimization process resulted in pronounced changes in fatty acid proportions where saturated fatty acids increased by 7.4% in the optimized culture with simultaneous reduction of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The estimated biodiesel characteristics calculated from the fatty acid methyl ester (FAMEs) profile showed agreement with the international standards, while optimized cultures showed an 8.5% lower degree of unsaturation, which resulted in higher cetane numbers and lower iodine values. This study provides economical approach for optimization and efficient nutrient recycling through cultivation of Chlorella sp. for further enhanced biodiesel production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment)
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17 pages, 5353 KiB  
Article
Removal of Nutrients by Using Green Microalgae from Lab-Scale Treated Palm Oil Mill Effluent
by Kah Aik Tan, Japareng Lalung, Dani Wijaya, Norli Ismail, Wan Maznah Wan Omar, Saikh Mohammad Wabaidur, Masoom Raza Siddiqui, Mahboob Alam and Mohd Rafatullah
Fermentation 2022, 8(11), 658; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8110658 - 20 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2655
Abstract
The use of microalgae for the removal of contaminants such as total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and other pollutants from palm oil mill effluent (POME) has recently received much attention. This study aimed to investigate the impact of [...] Read more.
The use of microalgae for the removal of contaminants such as total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and other pollutants from palm oil mill effluent (POME) has recently received much attention. This study aimed to investigate the impact of POME as a nutrient on microalgal growth and the rate at which nutrients were removed. Three green microalgae species were isolated from Penang, Malaysia’s palm oil mill. The polyphasic approach, which combines morphological and molecular observations, was used for species identification. The three green microalgae were identified as Chlorella sorokiniana, Scenedesmus quadricauda, and Chlorococcum oleofaciens. All three green microalgae were cultivated in 25%, 50%, and 75% (v/v) of lab-scale palm oil mill effluent (LABT-POME) to investigate the growth of these three green microalgae in 100 mL of BBM. Under a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the morphological changes of those three green microalgae (before and after cultivation in 25%, 50%, and 75% dilution of (LABT-POME)) were observed. When cultivated in LABT-POME, C. oleofaciens showed the highest growth rate compared to the other two species of green microalgae. C. oleofaciens was able to remove more than 90% of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and ammonia nitrogen from LABT-POME, as well as minimise soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) by about 65%. The growth of C. oleofaciens was well fitted to the Verhulst growth kinetic model with an R2 value of 0.99 and a growth rate of 0.3195 day−1 (d−1). The results of this study show the ability of newly isolated green microalgae to remove nutrients (TP, TN, NH3–N, and SCOD) from POME, which could be used as an effective and environmentally friendly method to remove pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment)
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14 pages, 2967 KiB  
Article
Effect of Volatile Fatty Acids Accumulation on Biogas Production by Sludge-Feeding Thermophilic Anaerobic Digester and Predicting Process Parameters
by Intisar Nasser Al-Sulaimi, Jagdeep Kumar Nayak, Halima Alhimali, Ahmed Sana and Abdullah Al-Mamun
Fermentation 2022, 8(4), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8040184 - 12 Apr 2022
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6780
Abstract
Sewage sludge represents an important resource for reuse in the wastewater treatment field. Hence, thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD) could be an alternative technique to recover renewable resources from sludge. In the TAD biodegradation process, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are the intermediate products of [...] Read more.
Sewage sludge represents an important resource for reuse in the wastewater treatment field. Hence, thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD) could be an alternative technique to recover renewable resources from sludge. In the TAD biodegradation process, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are the intermediate products of methanogenesis. However, the higher formation and accumulation of VFAs leads to microbial stress, resulting in acidification and failure of the digester. Therefore, several batch TADs have been investigated to evaluate the VFAs production from sludge and their impact on biogas generation and biodegradation efficiency. Three types of sewage sludges, e.g., primary sludge (PS), secondary sludge (SS), and mixed sludge (MS) were used as substrates to estimate the accumulation of VFAs and yield of methane gas. The system showed the maximum total VFAs accumulation from both PS and MS as 824.68 ± 0.5 mg/L and 236.67 ± 0.5 mg/L, respectively. The dominant VFA accumulation was identified as acetic acid, the main intermediate by-product of methane production. The produced biogas from PS and MS contained 66.75 ± 0.5% and 52.29 ± 0.5% methane, respectively. The high content of methane with PS-feeding digesters was due to the higher accumulation of VFAs (i.e., 824.68 ± 0.5 mg/L) in the TAD. The study also predicted the design parameters of TAD process by fitting the lab-scale experimental data with the well-known first-order kinetic and logistic models. Such predicted design parameters are significantly important before the large-scale application of the TAD process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment)
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Review

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27 pages, 10338 KiB  
Review
A Review of Pyrene Bioremediation Using Mycobacterium Strains in a Different Matrix
by Mohammad Qutob, Mohd Rafatullah, Syahidah Akmal Muhammad, Abeer M. Alosaimi, Hajer S. Alorfi and Mahmoud A. Hussein
Fermentation 2022, 8(6), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8060260 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3273
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are compounds with 2 or more benzene rings, and 16 of them have been classified as priority pollutants. Among them, pyrene has been found in higher concentrations than recommended, posing a threat to the ecosystem. Many bacterial strains have been [...] Read more.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are compounds with 2 or more benzene rings, and 16 of them have been classified as priority pollutants. Among them, pyrene has been found in higher concentrations than recommended, posing a threat to the ecosystem. Many bacterial strains have been identified as pyrene degraders. Most of them belong to Gram-positive strains such as Mycobacterium sp. and Rhodococcus sp. These strains were enriched and isolated from several sites contaminated with petroleum products, such as fuel stations. The bioremediation of pyrene via Mycobacterium strains is the main objective of this review. The scattered data on the degradation efficiency, formation of pyrene metabolites, bio-toxicity of pyrene and its metabolites, and proposed degradation pathways were collected in this work. The study revealed that most of the Mycobacterium strains were capable of degrading pyrene efficiently. The main metabolites of pyrene were 4,5-dihydroxy pyrene, phenanthrene-4,5-dicarboxylate, phthalic acid, and pyrene-4,5-dihydrodiol. Some metabolites showed positive results for the Ames mutagenicity prediction test, such as 1,2-phenanthrenedicarboxylic acid, 1-hydroxypyrene, 4,5-dihydropyrene, 4-phenanthrene-carboxylic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenanthrene, monohydroxy pyrene, and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone. However, 4-phenanthrol showed positive results for experimental and prediction tests. This study may contribute to enhancing the bioremediation of pyrene in a different matrix. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of Microorganisms in Wastewater Treatment)
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