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Environmental Technology Volume 40, 2019 - Issue 24
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Articles

Characterizing phenol-removing consortia under methanogenic and sulfate-reducing conditions: potential metabolic pathways

Leandro Augusto Gouvêa de GodoiBiological Processes Laboratory (LPB), São Carlos School of Engineering (EESC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Carlos, SP, BrazilCorrespondence[email protected]
ORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1514-3501
ORCID Icon,
Lucas Tadeu FuessBiological Processes Laboratory (LPB), São Carlos School of Engineering (EESC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Carlos, SP, BrazilORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8520-1124
ORCID Icon,
Tiago Palladino DelfornoMicrobial Resources Division, Research Center for Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture (CPQBA), Campinas University - UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, BrasilORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1705-0763
ORCID Icon,
Eugenio ForestiBiological Processes Laboratory (LPB), São Carlos School of Engineering (EESC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Carlos, SP, BrazilORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7097-8990
ORCID Icon &
Marcia Helena Rissato Zamariolli DamianovicBiological Processes Laboratory (LPB), São Carlos School of Engineering (EESC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Carlos, SP, Brazil
Pages 3216-3226 | Received 19 Jan 2018, Accepted 12 Apr 2018, Published online: 26 Apr 2018
 
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ABSTRACT

Phenol removal was investigated in anaerobic fixed-structured bed reactors, namely R1 and R2, treating synthetic wastewater simulating the soluble fraction of vinasse under strictly methanogenic (R1) and simultaneous methanogenic/sulfidogenic conditions (R2). Next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq System) was used to further characterize the microbial communities in both systems. Phenol was completely and stably removed in R1 after a short operating period (≈55 days). Conversely, phenol removal in R2 required a longer period for biomass acclimation (≈125 days) to reach levels equivalent to R1. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) accumulation in R2, mainly due to the inhibition of the acetoclastic methanogenesis by sulfide, may have limited phenol removal in the initial operating phases, as intermediate steps from phenol degradation are thermodynamically dependent on the removal of acetate, hydrogen and bicarbonate. Overall, the potential for anaerobically removing phenol from complex wastewaters was confirmed, even at low phenol/COD ratios. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed a high correlation of taxonomic profile between R1 and the inoculum, whereas a lower correlation was observed between R2 and the inoculum samples. Functional inference further indicated that Syntrophus and Bacillus genera in R1 and Clostridium genus in both reactors possibly played a key-role in phenol degradation.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (grant number 131014/2012-9), the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (grant number 2009/15984-0) and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for their financial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Leandro Augusto Gouvêa de Godoi http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1514-3501

Lucas Tadeu Fuess http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8520-1124

Tiago Palladino Delforno http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1705-0763

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