Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.jece.2026.121731
Lizenz creative commons licence
Titel (primär) Enhancing sulfate-rich wastewater treatment through polyvinyl alcohol -immobilized sulfidogenic granules: Optimization of reactor configuration and bioaugmentation strategies
Autor Castro, R.; Adrian, L. ORCID logo ; Gabriel, G.; Gabriel, D.; Gamisans, X.; Guimerà, X.
Quelle Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
Department MEB
Band/Volume 14
Heft 2
Seite von art. 121731
Sprache englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
Keywords Sulfate-containing wastewater; Sulfate reduction; PVA immobilization; Bioaugmentation; Glycerol oxidation; Anaerobic reactors
Abstract Sulfate-rich wastewater can pose significant environmental challenges due to its potential to acidify water bodies and disrupt ecosystems. This study evaluates the efficacy of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-immobilized sulfidogenic granules for sulfate removal and H2S production in two continuous-flow reactor configurations, column reactor (CR) and continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Using pure glycerol as electron donor, the CR demonstrated superior performance, removing > 95 % sulfate at initial loading rates ≤ 1.75 Kg S-SO₄²⁻·m⁻³ ·d⁻¹ , with minimal biomass washout (1.94 g volatile suspended solids (VSS)∙L−1in CR vs. 7.8 g VSS∙L−1 in CSTR), setting a C/S ratio of 6.25 Kg O2∙Kg−1 SO42-. Parameter optimization minimized volatile fatty acids accumulation, with acetate constituting 92 % of total volatile fatty acids. After long-term operation (101 days), Desulfovibrio were enriched to 21.3 % of the total community whereas methanogens were almost fully removed (<0.03 %). After bioaugmentation with immobilized granules overgrown with sulfate-reducing and acetate-oxidizing bacteria (SRB-AO) acetate efflux was reduced by 54 %, highlighting the potential to control byproduct formation. The PVA granules achieved a sulfate removal rate of 0.19 Kg S-SO₄²⁻·m⁻³ ·d⁻¹ ·g VSS⁻¹ ·L, which was similar to that of conventional suspended-growth sulfate-reducing systems (e.g., CSTR or flocculent UASB reactors) with fivefold higher biomass concentrations, while reducing startup time to 10 days. Total sulfide rate (including H2S and HS-) obtained at these conditions was 0.93 Kg∙m−3∙d−1. This work pioneers the integration of artificial granulation and granule bioaugmentation for scalable, highly-efficient sulfate removal, offering treatment options for industrial wastewater.
Castro, R., Adrian, L., Gabriel, G., Gabriel, D., Gamisans, X., Guimerà, X. (2026):
Enhancing sulfate-rich wastewater treatment through polyvinyl alcohol -immobilized sulfidogenic granules: Optimization of reactor configuration and bioaugmentation strategies
J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 14 (2), art. 121731 10.1016/j.jece.2026.121731