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Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibition on aerobic flocculent and granular sludge in the treatment of landfill leachate: a comparative study

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Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) inhibition in the flocculent and granular sludge sequencing batch reactors (GSBRs) used for the treatment of landfill leachate. Three columns of laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors were utilized to evaluate the inhibition of the suspended flocs and aerobic granular sludge. The inhibitory concentrations of DEHP were detected as the purpose of the specific oxygen uptake rate, soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), and DEHP removal function. In addition, glucose was used as the main biogenic substrate to dilute landfill leachate at 20% ratios. The GSBRs reveald a high performance in the SCOD and DEHP removal at the concentrations of up to 200 µg/L though the process ceased at 200 and 400 µg of DEHP/L in the suspended flocs sequencing batch reactors (FSBRs). At different dosing concentrations of DEHP in the reactor, short and suitable time led to the gradual accumulation of inhibitory compounds. At the inhibitory concentrations, only limited degradation of DEHP occurred. Although the assimilatory removal of DEHP was low at the normal efficiency of the FSBR, it reached significant values in the GSBRs.

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Abbreviations

DEHP:

Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate

GSBR:

Granular sludge sequenting batch reactor

FSBR:

Flocculent sludge sequenting batch reactor

SBRs:

Sequencing batch reactors

SCOD:

Soluble chemical oxygen demand

EDCs:

Endocrine-disrupting compounds

OUR:

Oxygen uptake rate

SOUR:

Specific oxygen uptake rate

H/D:

Height-to-diameter ratio

DO:

Dissolved oxygen

PLC:

Programmable logic controller

OLR:

Organic loading rate

UV:

Ultraviolet

TSS:

Total suspended solids

VSS:

Volatile suspended solids

SVI:

Sludge volume index

MLVSS:

Mixed liquor volatile suspended solid

TOC:

Total organic carbon

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Funding

The Vice Chancellery for Research at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (PhD dissertation No. 99010536) and Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) provided financial support of this research project (No. 98021644).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Sciences Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Abdolmotaleb Seid-Mohammadi, Ghorban Asgari & Mohammad Thaghi Samadi

  2. Air Quality and Climate Change Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Rafiee

  3. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti university of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Rafiee

  4. Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Fatemeh Nouri

  5. Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Research Institute for Health, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

    Meghdad Pirsaheb

  6. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Fateme Asadi

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  1. Abdolmotaleb Seid-Mohammadi
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Seid-Mohammadi, A., Asgari, G., Rafiee, M. et al. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibition on aerobic flocculent and granular sludge in the treatment of landfill leachate: a comparative study. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 13, 10421–10433 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-01934-8

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