Biofouling Control in an Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor with Indigenous Quorum Quenching Bacterium Micrococcus luteus Strain AnQ-m1

Abstract

This study isolated and screened indigenous strains quenching the acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated quorum sensing system and investigated the effectiveness of a selected strain for biofouling control in a laboratory-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). Among the 11 facultative anaerobes isolated from anaerobic sludge, Micrococcus luteus strain AnQ-m1 was screened out as the most potent AHL degrader. Its AHL degradability was further examined while encapsulating the cells in polysulfone−alginate beads to optimize the encapsulation medium recipe. The QQ beads with immobilized AnQ-m1 cells retarded the apparent membrane fouling rate by 2.2 times compared with the AnMBR with vacant beads. C8-HSL, the dominant AHL in AnMBRs, was effectively (∼70%) quenched in the QQ-AnMBR before the membrane was fouled; however, its concentration was increased to the normal level when the membrane was fouled. Polysaccharides in a loosely bound extracellular polymeric substance were gradually reduced at a constant rate during the QQ stage, while the indigenous QQ strain barely affected the microbial community structure of the bulk sludge and the water treatment performance of the AnMBR. These findings provide new insights into the QQ-based biofouling control strategy and highlight the beneficial effects of indigenous QQ strains on AnMBR stability.

Biofouling Control by Facultative Quorum Quenching Bacteria in Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors for High-Strength Wastewater Treatment

“…This reduction can be attributed to the substantial decrease in the AHLs concentration and a significant 39.7–80.6% reduction in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) within the cake layer. Xiao et al highlighted the efficacy of indigenous QQ strain of Micrococcus luteus AnQ-m1 isolated from anaerobic sludge, in significantly reducing the membrane fouling rate by 2.2 times. Waheed et al successfully achieved the lab-scale AnMBR biofouling control via indigenously isolated QQ anaerobes.…”

“…However, severe membrane biofouling decreases the flux and requires regular membrane cleaning and replacement leading to expensive operating costs, being the major bottleneck to the development and widespread application of AnMBR . Biofouling is primarily caused by complex biological interactions between the membrane surface and foulants, resulting in undesired microbial components adhering to the membrane surface and/or within membrane pores, with quorum sensing (QS) playing a crucial role. , QS, a microbial communication mechanism based on N -acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) associated with biofouling, is known to play a significant role in regulating important microbial behaviors, including the formation of biofilm. , Thus, to address the issue of biofouling in AnMBR, it is necessary to gain comprehensive insight into microbial behavior and various environmental conditions that affect the formation and regulation of biofilm.…”