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Chloroform aerobic cometabolism by butane-growing Rhodococcus aetherovorans BCP1 in continuous-flow biofilm reactors

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Abstract

This work focuses on chloroform (CF) cometabolism by a butane-grown aerobic pure culture (Rhodococcus aetherovorans BCP1) in continuous-flow biofilm reactors. The goals were to obtain preliminary information on the feasibility of CF biodegradation by BCP1 in biofilm reactors and to evaluate the applicability of the pulsed injection of growth substrate and oxygen to biofilm reactors. The attached-cell tests were initially conducted in a 0.165-L bioreactor and, then, scaled-up to a 1.772-L bioreactor. Glass cylinders were utilized as biofilm carriers. The continuous supply of growth substrate (butane), which led to the attainment of the highest CF degradation rate (8.4 mgCF day−1 m −2biofilm surface ), was compared with four schedules of butane and oxygen pulsed feeding. The pulsed injection technique allowed the attainment of a ratio of CF mass degraded per unit mass of butane supplied equal to 0.16 mgCF mg −1butane , a value 4.4 times higher than that obtained with the continuous substrate supply. A procedure based on the utilization of integral mass balances and of average concentrations along the bioreactors resulted in a satisfactory match between the predicted and the experimental CF degradation performances, and can therefore be utilized to provide a guideline for optimizing the substrate pulsed injection schedule.

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Abbreviations

b :

Endogenous decay coefficient (day−1)

c i :

Aqueous phase concentration of compound i (g m−3; gprotein m−3 for the cells of BCP1)

\( \bar{c}_{i} \) :

Average concentration of compound i along the bioreactor (g m−3; gprotein m−3 for the cells of BCP1)

\( \bar{c}_{X}^{\prime \prime } \) :

Total cell mass in the bioreactor divided by the total interfacial area (gprotein m −2biofilm surface )

\( \bar{c}_{X}^{\prime \prime \prime } \) :

Total cell mass in the bioreactor divided by the reactor volume (gprotein m −3reactor )

D i :

Molecular diffusivity of compound i in water (m2 s−1)

D L,i :

Longitudinal dispersion coefficient of compound i (m2 s−1)

k CF,ac :

CF first-order constant for attached cells of BCP1 (m 3pore volume  g −1protein  day−1)

k CF,sc :

CF first-order constant for suspended cells of BCP1 (m 3pore volume  g −1protein  day−1)

K i,B or CF :

Constant of butane inhibition on CF degradation or CF inhibition on butane uptake (g m−3)

K s,B or CF :

Butane or CF half-saturation constant (g m−3)

L :

Column length (m)

m CF :

Total CF mass in the bioreactor (g)

m X :

Total cell mass in the bioreactor (gprotein)

\( \dot{m}_{\text{B,inlet}} ,\dot{m}_{\text{CF,inlet}} \) :

Butane or CF mass rate entering the bioreactor (g day−1)

n P :

Number of daily butane and oxygen pulses (–)

Pe:

Peclet number, evaluated as \( {{vL} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{vL} {D_{L,i} }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {D_{L,i} }} \)(–)

Q :

Flow rate (m3 day−1)

q B or CF :

Butane or CF specific biodegradation rate (g g −1protein day−1)

q max,B or CF :

Butane or CF maximum specific biodegradation rate (g g −1protein  day−1)

\( {{\bar{R}_{\text{CF}}^{\prime \prime } } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\bar{R}_{\text{CF}}^{\prime \prime } } {\bar{c}_{\text{CF}} }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\bar{c}_{\text{CF}} }} \) :

Total CF mass degraded daily, divided by the total interfacial area and by the average CF concentration along the reactor (Lpore volume m −2biofilm surface  day−1)

\( {{\bar{R}_{\text{CF}}^{\prime \prime \prime } } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\bar{R}_{\text{CF}}^{\prime \prime \prime } } {\bar{c}_{\text{CF}} }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\bar{c}_{\text{CF}} }} \) :

Total CF mass degraded daily, divided by the reactor volume and by the average CF concentration along the reactor (day−1)

S biofilm :

Total surface of the biofilm carriers (m2)

\( t_{\text{B,pulse}} \) :

Duration of each butane pulse (h)

\( t_{\text{B}}^{*} \) :

Daily hours of butane feeding/24 (–)

T c,CF :

CF transformation capacity (CF degraded per unit amount of cells inactivated by the toxic degradation products or by NADH depletion; gCF g −1protein )

v :

Interstitial velocity (m h−1)

Y B :

Cell growth yield on butane (gprotein g −1butane )

α L :

Longitudinal dispersivity (m)

ε biofilm :

Biofilm efficiency (–)

η B , η CF :

Butane or CF conversion (–)

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Acknowledgments

Project co-funding by the Italian Ministry of University and Research through research grant PRIN 2008 “Novel processes for the sustainable remediation of groundwater contaminated by chlorinated compounds”, and by the European Commission under Grant Agreement no. 265946 (Minotaurus project, 7th FP) is acknowledged. The authors greatly acknowledge Luis Olarte, Michele Pugliese and Marco Ramos for their help in the experimental work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical, Mining and Environmental Engineering, University of Bologna, Via Terracini 34, Bologna, Italy

    R. Ciavarelli, D. Pinelli & D. Frascari

  2. Department of Evolutionary and Experimental Biology, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, Bologna, Italy

    M. Cappelletti & S. Fedi

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  1. R. Ciavarelli
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  2. M. Cappelletti
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  3. S. Fedi
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  4. D. Pinelli
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  5. D. Frascari
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Correspondence to D. Frascari.

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Ciavarelli, R., Cappelletti, M., Fedi, S. et al. Chloroform aerobic cometabolism by butane-growing Rhodococcus aetherovorans BCP1 in continuous-flow biofilm reactors. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 35, 667–681 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-011-0647-3

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