Abstract
The study evaluated the co-metabolism of nonylphenol polyethoxylate (NPEO) within a main substrate stream subjected to biodegradation in an activated sludge system. Peptone mixture simulating sewage was selected as the synthetic substrate. As a novel approach, the NPEO concentration was magnified to match the COD level of the peptone mixture, so that co-metabolism could be evaluated by respirometry and modeling. A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) set-up at high sludge age to also allow nitrification was operated for this purpose. A long acclimation phase was necessary to start NPEO biodegradation, which was completed with 15% residual by-products. Modeling of respirometric data could identify COD fractions of NPEO with corresponding process kinetics for the first time, where the biodegradation of by-products could be interpreted numerically as a hydrolysis mechanism. Nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2EO) was observed as the major by-product affecting the biodegradation of NPEO, because NPEO and NP2EO accounted for 60 to 70% of the total soluble COD in the solution during the course of biological reactions. The co-metabolism characteristics basically defined NPEO as a substrate, with no appreciable inhibitory action on the microbial culture both in terms of heterotrophic and autotrophic activities.
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Acknowledgements
This work is funded by ITU Scientific Research Fund with project entitled “Fate of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates in the aerobic and anaerobic stabilization of municipal treatment sludge” Project No: 36634.
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Ekdal, A., Okutman Tas, D., Zengin, G.E. et al. Co-metabolism of nonylphenol ethoxylate in sequencing batch reactor under aerobic conditions. Biodegradation 33, 181–194 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-022-09974-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-022-09974-1