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Published on: July 2, 2015
Bacteria-polysaccharide interfacial regulation by calcium alginate hydrogel capsules supports sulfate reduction in
Yujie Wang1, Fangzhou Luo1, Zhaoyue Yang1
1School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China.
Abstract:
Calcium alginate hydrogels are widely used for microbial encapsulation, yet their role in regulating bacteria-polysaccharide interfaces under acidic sulfate conditions remains unclear. Here, calcium alginate hydrogel capsules (SAC) were used to encapsulate a functional sulfate-reducing consortium and evaluate its performance in acidic sulfate-containing water. At pH 4, SAC maintained live-cell densities 147-185 times higher than those of free cells and achieved higher sulfate removal rates on days 7 and 14 (19.9% and 21.3%) than free cells (3.7% and 10.0%). Inactivated SAC showed limited sulfate removal (5.5%-5.9%), indicating a substantial live-cell-associated contribution. The Ca-alginate network retained a porous structure and exhibited enhanced rheological resistance, with shear stress increasing from 152.98 to 548.1 Pa after 7 days of acid stress. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) analysis indicated compositional remodeling rather than increased accumulation, while electrochemical OCP relaxation showed a reduced apparent decay time constant from 1.167 s in free cells to 0.508 s in SAC, suggesting faster interfacial chemical-state recovery. These findings demonstrate that Ca-alginate capsules enhance acid tolerance through cell retention, matrix stability, EPS-interface remodeling, and altered proton-activity relaxation, offering a polysaccharide-based strategy for sustaining microbial function in acidic sulfate-containing wastewater.
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