Abstract
Implementation of microalgae has been considered for enhancing effluent wastewater quality. However, it can cause environmental issues due to the release of extracellular and algal organic matter in the biological process. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of dissolved effluent as algae- and bacteria-derived organic matter during the oxidation ditch process. Furthermore, experiments were conducted under three combinations filled by Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, and without microalgae. The results showed that dissolved effluent organic matter was more aromatic and hydrophobic than before treatment. Fluorescence spectroscopy identified two components—aromatic protein–like and soluble microbial product–like components—at excitation/emission of 230/345 nm and 320/345 nm after treatment, instead of fulvic acid–like at 230/420 nm and humic acid–like at 320/420 nm in raw wastewater. These components were fractionated based on the average of molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs), and high (MWCOs > 50,000 Da), medium (MWCOs 50,000–1650 Da), and low molecular weights (MWCOs < 1650 Da) were reported. Biological oxidation ditch under symbiosis algal bacteria generated humic and fulvic acid with a higher MWCOs than the process without algal. The quality and quantity of dissolved effluent organic matter in an oxidation ditch reactor were significantly affected by algal-bacteria symbiotic.
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Abbreviations
- AMW:
-
Apparent molecular weight
- AOM:
-
Algal organic matter
- AP-like:
-
Aromatic protein–like
- BAP:
-
Biomass-associated products
- BOD:
-
Biological oxygen demand
- COD:
-
Chemical oxygen demand
- DBPs:
-
Disinfection by-products
- dEfOM:
-
Dissolved effluent organic matter
- EBAP:
-
Endogeny biomass-associated products
- EOM:
-
Extracellular organic matter
- EPS:
-
Extracellular polymeric substances
- Ex/Em:
-
Excitation/emission
- FA-like:
-
Fulvic acid–like
- FEEM:
-
Fluorescence excitation-emission matrices
- GBAP:
-
Growth biomass-associated products
- HA-like:
-
Humic acid–like
- HMW:
-
High molecular weight
- IOM:
-
Intracellular organic matter
- LC-OCD:
-
Liquid chromatography-organic carbon detector
- LMW:
-
Low molecular weight
- MMW:
-
Medium molecular weight
- MW:
-
Molecular weight
- MWCOs:
-
Molecular weight cut-offs
- NPDOC:
-
Non-purgeable dissolved organic carbon
- OD:
-
Oxidation ditch
- ODC:
-
Oxidation ditch with C. vulgaris
- ODS:
-
Oxidation ditch with S. platensis
- RW:
-
Raw water
- SMP:
-
Soluble microbial products
- SUVA:
-
Specific ultraviolet absorbance
- UAP:
-
Utilization-associated products
- UV254 :
-
Ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm
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This study was financially supported by Kurita Water and Environment Foundation (KWEF) Japan through Kurita Overseas Research Grant 2021 with Reference Number: 20Pid012-T11.
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Euis Nurul Hidayah arranged experiments regarding the procedure and analysis sample, interpreted the PARAFAC data, and wrote the manuscript. Okik Hendriyanto Cahyonugroho conducted the experiment for algal acclimation, arranged and analyzed data regarding the bulk parameters of organic matters, and wrote the manuscript. Elita Nurfitriyani Sulistyo conducted the oxidation ditch running process experiment, visualized all data into figures, and edited the manuscript according to the guideline. Finally, Nieke Karnaningroem reviewed the manuscript, and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Hidayah, E.N., Cahyonugroho, O.H., Sulistyo, E.N. et al. Using molecular weight–based fluorescent detector to characterize dissolved effluent organic matter in oxidation ditch with algae. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 67418–67429 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22464-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22464-4