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Effect of granular activated carbon concentration on the content of organic matter and salt, influencing E. coli activity and survival in fluidized bed disinfection reactor
Author(s) -
Racyte Justina,
Langenhoff Alette A.M.,
Ribeiro Ana F.M.M.R.,
PaulitschFuchs Astrid H.,
Bruning Harry,
Rijnaarts Huub H.M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.25254
Subject(s) - chemistry , organic matter , fluidized bed , microorganism , chlorine , environmental chemistry , activated carbon , adsorption , bacteria , organic chemistry , genetics , biology
Granular activated carbon (GAC) is used in water treatment systems, typically to remove pollutants such as natural organic matter, volatile organic compounds, chlorine, taste, and odor. GAC is also used as a key component of a new technology that combines a fluidized bed reactor with radio frequency electric fields for disinfection. So far, the effects of GAC on bacteria in these fluidized bed reactors are unclear. This paper describes a systematic study of the physico‐chemical changes in five microbial media compositions caused by different concentrations (23–350 g/L) of GAC, and the effects of these physico‐chemical changes on the metabolic activity and survival of a model microorganism ( Escherichia coli YMc10) in a fluidized bed reactor. The chemical adsorption taking place in suspensions with specific GAC changed nutritional, osmotic, and pH conditions in the investigated microbial media (LB, diluted LB, PBS, diluted PBS, and tap water), leading to a decay of the metabolic activity and survival of E. coli . Especially media that are poor in organic and mineral compounds (e.g., PBS) with suspended GAC showed a concentration decay of 3.5 Log CFU/mL E. coli after 6 h. Organic compounds depletion and severe pH variation were enhanced in the presence of higher GAC concentrations. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 2009–2018. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.