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Xenobiotics in the Urban Water Cycle pp 355–374Cite as

Removal of Xenobiotics from Wastewater in Sequencing Batch Reactors: Conventional and Two-Phase Configurations

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Part of the book series: Environmental Pollution ((EPOL,volume 16))

Abstract

Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs), characterised by a large variety of potential operating conditions and high operational flexibility, are an effective technological solution to the treatment of xenobiotic compounds, while also being able to generate a versatile micro-organism culture able to develop metabolic pathways required in the degradation of such recalcitrant substances. The main limitation in the operation of SBRs is the high concentrations of xenobiotic substrates that the biomass can experience, leading to a significant reduction in kinetic performance that is often not acceptable in practical applications (i.e. industrial wastewater treatment). The effects of substrate inhibition can be mitigated by a two phase partitioning system that is able to optimize “substrate delivery” to the cells in order to keep the substrate concentration at a level high enough to have reaction rates suitable for application but not inhibitory and/or toxic for the biomass. Immiscible organic solvents or solid polymers can be utilized as partitioning phases. Combining the two phase system with SBRs is a promising area to be investigated as a possible strategy when xenobiotic removal has to be achieved in critical conditions characterized by very high influent substrate concentrations.

In this chapter the principles of operation and an overview of the existing and potential applications for conventional and two phase sequencing batch systems are presented. In addition, the results obtained for the application of both technological approaches to the case study of 4-nitrophenol removal are reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Water Research Institute, C.N.R, Via Salaria km 29,300 C.P. 10, 00015, Monterotondo Stazione (Rome), Italy

    M. Concetta Tomei

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Rome, Italy

    M. Cristina Annesini

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6

    Andrew J. Daugulis

Authors
  1. M. Concetta Tomei
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  2. M. Cristina Annesini
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  3. Andrew J. Daugulis
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Correspondence to M. Concetta Tomei .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Kallipoleos 75, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus

    Despo Fatta-Kassinos

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, Sohngaardsholmsvej 57, Aalborg, 9000, Denmark

    Kai Bester

  3. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University Medical Center Freiburg, Bresisacher Straße 115b, Freiburg, D 79106, Germany

    Klaus Kümmerer

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Tomei, M.C., Annesini, M.C., Daugulis, A.J. (2010). Removal of Xenobiotics from Wastewater in Sequencing Batch Reactors: Conventional and Two-Phase Configurations. In: Fatta-Kassinos, D., Bester, K., Kümmerer, K. (eds) Xenobiotics in the Urban Water Cycle. Environmental Pollution, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3509-7_19

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