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Fluidized-bed denitrification for mine waters. Part I: low pH and temperature operation

Biodegradation volume 25, pages 425–435 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Mining often leads to nitrate and metal contamination of groundwater and water bodies. Denitrification of acidic water was investigated in two up-flow fluidized-bed reactors (FBR) and using batch assays. Bacterial communities were enriched on ethanol plus nitrate in the FBRs. Initially, the effects of temperature, low-pH and ethanol/nitrate on denitrification were revealed. Batch assays showed that pH 4.8 was inhibitory to denitrification, whereas FBR characteristics permitted denitrification even at feed pH of 2.5 and at 7–8 °C. Nitrate and ethanol were removed and the feed pH was neutralized, provided that ethanol was supplied in excess to nitrate. Subsequently, Fe(II) and Cu impact on denitrification was investigated within batch tests at pH 7. Iron supplementation up to 100 mg/L resulted in iron oxidation and soluble concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 mg/L that stimulated denitrification. On the contrary, 0.7 mg/L of soluble Cu significantly slowed denitrification down resulting in about 45 % of inhibition in the first 8 h. Polymerase chain reaction—denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis demonstrated the co-existence of different denitrifying microbial consortia in FBRs. Dechloromonas denitrificans and Hydrogenophaga caeni were present in both FBRs and mainly responsible for nitrate reduction.

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Abbreviations

DGGE:

Denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis

FBR:

Fluidized-bed reactor

HPLC:

High performance liquid chromatograph

HRT:

Hydraulic retention time

IC:

Ion chromatograph

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

RID:

Refractive index detector

TAE:

Tris-acetate-EDTA

VSS:

Volatile suspended solids

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (TEKES) for financing the current research.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 541, 33101, Tampere, Finland

    S. Papirio, A. Ylinen, G. Zou, M. Peltola & J. A. Puhakka

  2. Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, via Di Biasio 43, 03043, Cassino, FR, Italy

    S. Papirio & G. Esposito

Authors
  1. S. Papirio
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  2. A. Ylinen
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  3. G. Zou
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  4. M. Peltola
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  5. G. Esposito
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  6. J. A. Puhakka
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Correspondence to S. Papirio.

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Papirio, S., Ylinen, A., Zou, G. et al. Fluidized-bed denitrification for mine waters. Part I: low pH and temperature operation. Biodegradation 25, 425–435 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-013-9671-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-013-9671-0

Keywords

  • Acid mine water
  • Denitrification
  • Fluidized-bed reactor
  • Nitrate
  • Iron
  • Copper