Enhancing sulfate-rich wastewater treatment through polyvinyl alcohol -immobilized sulfidogenic granules: optimization of reactor configuration and bioaugmentation strategies
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 reac...
| Autores: | , , , , , |
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| Formato: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/458878 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/458878 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2026.121731 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | Sulfate-containing wastewater Sulfate reduction PVA immobilization Bioaugmentation Glycerol oxidation Anaerobic reactors Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria química |
| Resumo: | 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. |
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