RESUMO
The oxidation of methane (CH4) using biofilters has been proposed as an alternative to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions with a low concentration of CH4 that cannot be used as a source of energy. However, conventional biofilters utilize organic packing materials that have a short lifespan, clogging problems, and are commonly inoculated with non-specific microorganisms leading to unpredictable CH4 elimination capacities (EC) and removal efficiencies (RE). The main objective of this work was to characterize the oxidation of CH4 in two biotrickling filters (BTFs) packed with polyethylene rings and inoculated with two methanotrophic bacteria, Methylomicrobium album and Methylocystis sp., in order to determine EC and CO2 production (pCO2) when using a specific inoculum. The repeatability of the results in both BTFs was determined when they operated at the same inlet load of CH4. A dynamic mathematical model that describes the CH4 abatement in the BTFs was developed and validated using mass transfer and kinetic parameters estimated independently. The results showed that EC and pCO2 of the BTFs are not identical but very similar for all the conditions tested. The use of specific inoculum has shown a faster startup and higher EC per unit area (0.019 gCH4 m-2 h-1) in comparison to most of the previous studies at the same CH4 load rate (23.2 gCH4 m-3 h-1). Global mass balance showed that the maximum reduction of CO2 equivalents was 98.5 gCO2eq m-3 h-1. The developed model satisfactorily described CH4 abatement in BTFs for a wide range of conditions.
Assuntos
Reatores Biológicos , Recuperação e Remediação Ambiental/métodos , Metano/metabolismo , Methylococcaceae/metabolismo , Methylocystaceae/metabolismo , Biodegradação Ambiental , Filtração , Gases de Efeito Estufa/metabolismo , Modelos Biológicos , OxirreduçãoRESUMO
The effect of the initial concentration of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) on specific methanogenic activity (SMA) was investigated in this work. Six anaerobic flasks reactors with 1 L of total volume were inoculated with anaerobic sludge (2 g VSS L(-1)). The reactors were assayed for 42 days, and fed with volatile fatty acids, nutrients, and LAS. The initial LAS concentrations were 0, 10, 30, 50, 75, and 100 mg L(-1) for the treatment flasks T1 (control), T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6, respectively. When compared with T1, T2 exhibited a 30% reduction in maximum SMA and total methane production (TMP). In treatment T3 through T6, the reductions were 44-97% (T3-T6) for SMA, and 30-90% (T3-T6) for TMP. Total LAS removal increased following the increase in the initial LAS concentration (from 36% at T1 to 76% at T6), primarily due to the high degree of sludge adsorption. LAS biodegradation also occurred (32% in all treatments), although this was most likely associated with the formation of non-methane intermediates. Greater removal by adsorption was observed in long-chain homologues, when compared to short-chain homologues (C13 > C10), whereas the opposite occurred for biodegradation (C10 > C13). The C13 homologue was adsorbed to a great extent (in mass) in T4, T5 and T6, and may also have inhibited methane formation in these treatments.
Assuntos
Ácidos Alcanossulfônicos/metabolismo , Reatores Biológicos , Methylococcaceae/metabolismo , Esgotos , Tensoativos/metabolismo , Águas Residuárias , Purificação da Água/métodos , Anaerobiose , Humanos , Microbiologia da ÁguaRESUMO
Oxidation of methane by methanotrophs, Methylomicrobium album and Methylocystis sp., was measured at several initial concentrations of H2S and NH3 in the headspace of stoppered flasks, at the same initial concentration of methane as sole carbon and energy source: 15 % (v/v). No effect was observed at 0.01 % (v/v) H2S and 0.025 % (v/v) NH3 in gas phase but over 0.05 and 0.025 % (v/v), respectively, they inhibited the oxidation of methane. The effect of H2S was stronger in Methylocystis sp. and both microorganisms were similarly affected by NH3. Depending on their concentrations in gas phase, H2S and NH3 can thus affect the rate of oxidation of methane and biomass growth of both methanotrophs.
Assuntos
Amônia/farmacologia , Sulfeto de Hidrogênio/farmacologia , Metano/análise , Metano/metabolismo , Methylococcaceae/metabolismo , Methylocystaceae/metabolismo , Amônia/metabolismo , Dióxido de Carbono , Sulfeto de Hidrogênio/metabolismo , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Metano/química , Oxirredução/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Large amounts of the greenhouse gas methane (CH(4)) are produced by anaerobic mineralization of organic matter in lakes. In spite of extensive freshwater CH(4) emissions, most of the CH(4) is typically oxidized by methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB) before it can reach the lake surface and be emitted to the atmosphere. In turn, it has been shown that the CH(4)-derived biomass of MOB can provide the energy and carbon for zooplankton and macroinvertebrates. In this study, we demonstrate the presence of specific fatty acids synthesized by MOB in fish tissues having low carbon stable isotope ratios. Fish species, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates and the water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes were collected from a shallow lake in Brazil and analyzed for fatty acids (FA) and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ(13)C). The fatty acids 16:1ω8c, 16:1ω8t, 16:1ω6c, 16:1ω5t, 18:1ω8c and 18:1ω8t were used as signature for MOB. The δ(13)C ratios varied from -27.7 to -42.0 and the contribution of MOB FA ranged from 0.05% to 0.84% of total FA. Organisms with higher total content of MOB FAs presented lower δ(13)C values (i.e. they were more depleted in (13)C), while organisms with lower content of MOB signature FAs showed higher δ(13)C values. An UPGMA cluster analysis was carried out to distinguish grouping of organisms in relation to their MOB FA contents. This combination of stable isotope and fatty acid tracers provides new evidence that assimilation of methane-derived carbon can be an important carbon source for the whole aquatic food web, up to the fish level.
Assuntos
Organismos Aquáticos/metabolismo , Carbono/metabolismo , Peixes/metabolismo , Cadeia Alimentar , Metano/metabolismo , Aerobiose , Animais , Isótopos de Carbono , Análise por Conglomerados , Ácidos Graxos/metabolismo , Lagos/microbiologia , Methylococcaceae/genética , Methylococcaceae/metabolismo , Paraguai , FilogeniaRESUMO
A novel methanotroph, designated strain E10(T), was isolated from a rice paddy field in Uruguay. Strain E10(T) grew on methane and methanol as sole carbon and energy sources. Cells were Gram-negative, non-motile, non-pigmented, slightly curved rods showing type I intracytoplasmic membranes arranged in stacks. The strain was neutrophilic and mesophilic; optimum growth occurred at 30-35 °C with no growth above 37 °C. The strain possessed only a particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain was most closely related to the moderately thermophilic strains Methylocaldum szegediense OR2(T) (91.6 % sequence similarity) and Methylococcus capsulatus Bath (91.5 %). Comparative sequence analysis of pmoA genes also confirmed that strain E10(T) formed a new lineage among the genera Methylocaldum and Methylococcus with 89 and 84 % derived amino acid sequence identity to Methylococcus capsulatus Bath and Methylocaldum gracile VKM-14L(T), respectively. The DNA G+C content was 63.1 mol% and the major cellular fatty acid was C(16 :0) (62.05 %). Thus, strain E10(T) (=JCM 16910(T) = DSM 23452(T)) represents the type strain of a novel species within a new genus, for which the name Methylogaea oryzae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed.