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Published on: December 25, 2015
Diuron biodegradation in activated sludge batch reactors under aerobic and anoxic conditions
Athanasios S Stasinakis1, Sevasti Kotsifa, Georgia Gatidou
1Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene 81100, Greece. astas@env.aegean.gr
Anoxic conditions significantly enhance Diuron biodegradation (>95%) compared to aerobic conditions (~60%). Sequential anoxic and aerobic treatments show promise for removing Diuron and its metabolites from water.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Bioremediation of pollutants
Background:
- Diuron is a widely used herbicide with environmental persistence.
- Understanding its biodegradation pathways is crucial for effective wastewater treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Diuron biodegradation in activated sludge under varying conditions.
- To assess the impact of aerobic vs. anoxic conditions, supplemental substrate, and biomass acclimatization on Diuron removal.
Main Methods:
- Activated sludge reactors were used to study Diuron biodegradation.
- Compounds were extracted using solid-phase extraction or sonication.
- High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) was employed for analysis.
Main Results:
- Anoxic conditions led to >95% Diuron biodegradation, with DCPU as the major metabolite.
- Aerobic conditions resulted in ~60% biodegradation, with DCA as the major metabolite.
- Metabolites DCPMU, DCPU, and DCA showed faster biodegradation than Diuron under aerobic conditions.
Conclusions:
- Anoxic conditions are highly effective for Diuron biodegradation.
- Biomass acclimatization slightly improved removal under anoxic conditions.
- Sequential anoxic-aerobic treatment could be a viable strategy for Diuron removal from runoff waters.
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