Effects of Bisphenol A Stress on Activated Sludge in Sequential Batch Reactors and Functional Recovery

Abstract

This study assessed the toxic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on the microbial community and the function of activated sludge in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). The toxicity of BPA was mitigated through dosing sludge with Rhodococcus Req-001. BPA reduced the biomass of sludge, and the proportion of viable bacteria decreased with the aggravation of BPA pollution. BPA affected the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), increased the ratio of polysaccharide to protein, and deteriorated the sedimentation performance of sludge. BPA decreased the abundances of functional bacteria involved in the degradation of organic matter and water purification, including Polaromonas, Dechloromonas, and Nitrospira, and the water purification capacity of the reactor decreased. Req-001 enhanced the BPA removal efficiency by 15%, and increased ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus removal by 8.8% and 22.7%, respectively. The functional recovery ability of the sludge system and the high removal ability of Req-001 make it a promising specie for use in BPA bioremediation. This study combined the effect of BPA on activated sludge and reactor performance with the microbial community, clarified the toxic mechanism of BPA on activated sludge, and therefore provides a theoretical basis and potential solutions to help WWTPs cope with the toxic effects of BPA.

Current Trends in Bioaugmentation Tools for Bioremediation: A Critical Review of Advances and Knowledge Gaps

“… Biomonitoring parameters for assessing the performance of a bioremediation process [ 16 , 54 , 74 , 77 , 77 , 78 ]. …”

Mitigating rubber waste effluent through microbial approaches: A review

“…During the fill stage, the wastewater is added to the tank until it reaches a predetermined level (Dutta & Sarkar, 2015). Then, during the react stage, microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are added to the tank to break down the organic matter in the wastewater (Shao et al, 2022). This process is known as biological oxidation.…”

“…The clear effluent is then decanted from the top of the tank and discharged. The use of an SBR for treating rubber effluent has several advantages, including its ability to handle variable loads and high levels of organic matter (Shao et al, 2022). The SBR process is also relatively simple and cost-effective to operate and maintain.…”

Mechanisms of BPA Degradation and Toxicity Resistance in Rhodococcus equi

“…Finally, Bacillus megaterium ISO-2, isolated from polycarbonate industrial wastewater, completely removed 5 mg/L BPA within 72 h [ 19 ]. However, the toxicity of BPA can significantly inhibit microbial metabolism and growth [ 20 ]: BPA not only inhibits the bioactivity and organic degradation capacity of activated sludge but can also alter microbial community structure, decreasing the abundance of functional bacteria involved in water purification [ 21 , 22 ]. Indeed, this is one of the reasons why WWTPs cannot completely remove BPA from wastewater.…”