The purpose of this research was to evaluate the capability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to remove pathogens present in domestic wastewater, generated in the eco-touristic circuit Lomas de Lucumo (Lima, Peru). The pH decrease was used as an indicator of the elimination of fecal coliform bacteria in the treated water. Experiments included 36 treatments, which consisted of different mixtures of sugar molasses and a lactic acid bacteria inoculum (B-Lac) in proportions of 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10% (v/v) and wastewater in a fixed proportion of 200 ml, under a completely randomized design (CRD) with factorial arrangement 6x6. The pH values on the third day were evaluated using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey´s range test for mean differences (p < 0.05). The different treatments were analyzed in a first stage for 9 days, after which the best three were selected for a second evaluation: T16 (3% molasses and 5% B-Lac), T22 (5% molasses and 5% B-Lac) and T33 (10% molasses and 3% B-Lac); results show that the interaction effect between the two variables is significant. Finally, treatment T16 was selected as the most efficient, reaching a pH of 4.08 in a short time (3 days) that assured the complete removal of fecal coliform bacteria (9.65x10 5 MPN/100 ml) in the wastewater.
The heterogeneous photocatalysis consists of the generation of reactive oxygen species (•OH, •-O2) from a catalyst, UV light, and oxygen; these reactive species can degrade contaminants and eliminate microorganisms. The purpose of this research was to evaluate a heterogeneous photocatalysis system and an UV light disinfection system for the elimination of total coliforms and Escherichia coli bacteria present in rainwater stored in five cisterns in Mexico City. The elimination of total coliforms (MPN/100 mL) and Escherichia coli (CFU/100 mL) were evaluated both in the rainwater treated with TiO2/UV and UV (in time periods of 30 and 60 minutes), according to the treatments established in the statistical model 22. The results show that although complete elimination of initial total coliforms (9.3 x 104 MPN/100 mL) and E. coli bacterium (1.5 x 103 CFU/mL) was achieved in one of the samples of rainwater using only UV light at 254 nm for 30 minutes, the use of 8 films coated with Degussa P-25 titanium dioxide, UV light at 254 nm and 1.5 vvm air in a reactor, achieves a total pathogen removal in a shorter time of 15 minutes. Thus, we anticipate that the combined treatment could be an alternative disinfection process for rainwater stored in cisterns, reducing costs and making the treatment viable for a larger-scale application.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.