Evaluation of sulfamethazine removal kinetics using fixed structured bed bioreactor

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Sulfamethazine (SMZ) is a recalcitrant pollutant found in swine wastewater and sewage treatment plants.
• Effective wastewater treatment technologies are needed to address SMZ contamination.
• Anaerobic biomass attached to a support shows promise for treating recalcitrant compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the removal kinetics of sulfamethazine (SMZ) in laboratory-made wastewater using a continuous fixed structured bed bioreactor.
• To assess the efficiency of the bioreactor in removing SMZ at various concentrations.
• To monitor the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) as an indicator of overall organic matter removal.

Main Methods:

• A continuous fixed structured bed bioreactor with anaerobic biomass was employed.
• SMZ concentrations of 200, 400, 600, and 800 ng L⁻¹ were tested.
• SMZ analysis was performed using online solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (SPE online-LC-MS/MS).
• Chemical oxygen demand (COD) was monitored to evaluate organic matter removal.

Main Results:

• The bioreactor achieved a COD removal efficiency of 91.01% without interference from SMZ concentration.
• SMZ removal efficiencies ranged from [insert value]% to [insert value]% across the tested concentrations.
• Both COD and SMZ exhibited first-order apparent removal kinetics, with rate constants of [insert value] h⁻¹ for COD and [insert value] h⁻¹ for SMZ.

Conclusions:

• The continuous fixed structured bed bioreactor is effective for removing sulfamethazine from wastewater.
• The bioreactor demonstrates efficient removal of both SMZ and overall organic matter (COD).
• The established first-order kinetics provide valuable data for designing and optimizing wastewater treatment processes for SMZ removal.