Removal and impact of bisphenol-A in moving bed biological reactors (MBBR) with different carriers

Amaral, Amanda do; Sabino, Diogo; Costa, Vanda Azevedo da; Marques, Marcia

Removal and impact of bisphenol-A in moving bed biological reactors (MBBR) with different carriers

2024

Amaral, Amanda do | Sabino, Diogo | Costa, Vanda Azevedo da | Marques, Marcia

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely produced plasticizer extensively used by different industries, resulting in continuous release into water bodies. BPA is classified as xenoestrogen (substance that causes endocrine disruption, among other impacts) in aquatic environment. Even after treatment in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), significant amounts of BPA remain in treated effluents discharged in receiving water bodies, often exceeding safe levels. The Moving Bed Biological Reactor (MBBR) is a promising biological treatment strategy for BPA removal. It promotes biomass growth on suspended carriers, which serve as platforms for microbiota growth, distinct from microbiota found in the water column. These carriers, which can have different characteristics, play a crucial role in the process, influencing biomass thickness, mass transfer, microbial composition, and pollutant removal efficiency. In the present investigation, three continuous flow bench-scale aerobic MBBR reactors, filled with carriers formed by different materials – polyethylene, polyurethane, and natural sponge (Luffa cylindrica) – received synthetic wastewater, initially without BPA (control conditions) and later on, with BPA added. The objective was to assess removal efficiency and the impact of different carriers on the removal efficiency. The reactors showed stable BPA removal efficiencies, with average rates of 92.1 ± 1.7% (MBBR1), 91.9 ± 1.7% (MBBR2), and 93.0 ± 1.0% (MBBR3), with no statistically significant differences between them (p-value = 0.22). The microbial communities in all reactors adapted well to a BPA concentration of approx. 100 µg L⁻¹ after two weeks of acclimatization, maintaining their efficiency in removing organic matter and ammonium nitrogen.

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