Capacity of Hydrophobic Carriers to Form Biofilm for Removing Hydrocarbons from Polluted Industrial Wastewater: Assay in Microcosms
2018
Rodríguez-Calvo, Alfonso | Silva-Castro, GloriaAndrea | Robledo-Mahón, Tatiana | Gonzalez-López, Jesús | Calvo, Concepción
This study describes the capacity of different sorbents to form stable biofilms under highly hydrocarbon-polluted conditions and the degrading capacity of the microbiota present in the biofilm. With this aim, microcosms were designed in a 1 L beaker with 400 mL of culture medium or polluted wastewater and an amount equivalent of 200 mL of the selected sorbent carrier, made of cork and/or polypropylene meltblown. The culturable bacteria adhered to the sorbent carrier were quantified, and the time course of the hydrocarbon concentration was studied together with the formation of a biofilm on the carrier’s surface. The results revealed a different performance of the carriers in terms of bacterial adhesion, significantly reduction in the hydrocarbon content in water at the end of the assays, and a biofilm tolerance to high hydrocarbon concentration in the polluted water. From these results, it was concluded that the use of a sorbent, hydrophobic cork, or meltblown polypropylene, together with indigenous microbiota, constitutes a promising technology for the treatment of hydrocarbon-polluted water.
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