Abstract
This work explores the degradation of xenobiotic compounds in aerobic and anaerobic batch reactors. Different inoculums were spiked with nine emerging contaminants at nominal concentrations ranging between 1 to 2 mg/L (ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, acesulfame, sucralose, aspartame, cyclamate, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, and secondary alkyl sulfonates). Ethanol was used as co-substrate in the anaerobic reactors. We found that the kinetic decay was faster in the aerobic reactors inoculated with a Spanish (Spn) inoculum compared to a Brazilian (Brz) inoculum, resulting in rection rates for LAS and SAS of 2.67 ± 3.6 h−1 and 5.09 ± 6 h−1 for the Brz reactors, and 1.3 ± 0.1 h−1 and 1.5 ± 0.2 h−1 for the Spn reactors, respectively. There was no evidence of LAS and SAS degradation under anaerobic conditions within 72 days; nonetheless, under aerobic conditions, these surfactants were removed by both the Brz and Spn inoculums (up to 86.2 ± 9.4% and 74.3 ± 0.7%, respectively) within 10 days. The artificial sweeteners were not removed under aerobic conditions, whereas we could observe a steady decrease in the anaerobic reactors containing the Spn inoculum. Ethanol aided in the degradation of surfactants in anaerobic environments. Proteiniphilum, Paraclostridium, Arcobacter, Proteiniclasticum, Acinetobacter, Roseomonas, Aquamicrobium, Moheibacter, Leucobacter, Synergistes, Cyanobacteria, Serratia, and Desulfobulbus were the main microorganisms identified in this study.
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Data availability
Molecular biology data from the next generation sequencing of this study are available on the website of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) publicly deposited under accession numbers: PRJNA595959, SRP238057, SRX7405061, SRX7405059, SRX7405058, SRX7405057, SRX7405056, SRX7405055, and SRX7405054. For other physical–chemical and chromatographic data, this question does not apply.
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the Research Support Foundation of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP), process number 2016/06338-1, regarding the Research Internship Scholarship Program Abroad (BEPE) for financial support. The authors also thank the Laboratory of Biological Processes at the University of São Paulo (LPB/EESC/USP) and the professors and technicians of the Department of Physical Chemistry of the Faculty of Environmental and Marine Sciences of the University of Cadiz (UCA), who provided support and helped in the execution of this study (project RTI2018-096211-B-I00 funded by Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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Fabricio Motteran reports financial support was provided by State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation process number 2016/06338–1, regarding the Research Internship Scholarship Program Abroad (BEPE) and Pablo A. Lara-Martin reports equipment, drugs, or supplies was provided by Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (project RTI2018-096211-B-I00).
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Motteran, F., Varesche, M.B.A. & Lara-Martin, P.A. Assessment of the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation of contaminants of emerging concern in sludge using batch reactors. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 84946–84961 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21819-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21819-1