Register      Login
Microbiology Australia Microbiology Australia Society
Microbiology Australia, bringing Microbiologists together
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Bioaugmentation: an effective commercial technology for the removal of phenols from wastewater

Gregory Poi A B , Esmaeil Shahsavari C , Arturo Aburto-Medina C and Andrew S Ball C D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore 139651

B School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia

C Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Remediation, School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Vic. 3083, Australia

D Tel: +61 3 9925 6594, Fax: +61 3 9925 7110, Email: andy.ball@rmit.edu.au

Microbiology Australia 38(2) 82-84 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA17035
Published: 24 March 2017

Abstract

Phenol represents a huge problem in industrial wastewater effluents and needs to be removed due to its toxic and carcinogenic nature. The removal of phenol from the wastewater is often both expensive and time consuming; there is therefore a requirement for a more effective, sustainable solution for the removal of phenol from wastewaters. Bioaugmentation or the addition of phenol degrading microorganisms to contaminated effluents is one such sustainable approach being considered. Here, we describe how bioaugmentation has been applied for the biological treatment of phenol in industrial wastewaters.


References

[1]  Singh, R. et al. (2009) Role of persisters and small-colony variants in antibiotic resistance of planktonic and biofilm-associated Staphylococcus aureus: an in vitro study. J. Med. Microbiol. 58, 1067–1073.
Role of persisters and small-colony variants in antibiotic resistance of planktonic and biofilm-associated Staphylococcus aureus: an in vitro study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXhtV2isrzM&md5=bc34cbd35b602fad038ad9a214a11ebeCAS |

[2]  Sridevi, V. et al. (2012) Metabolic pathways for the biodegradation of phenol. Int J Eng Sci Adv Technol 2, 695–705.

[3]  Yan, J. et al. (2006) Phenol biodegradation by the yeast Candida tropicalis in the presence of m-cresol. Biochem. Eng. J. 29, 227–234.
Phenol biodegradation by the yeast Candida tropicalis in the presence of m-cresol.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28Xjs1Kiurc%3D&md5=9e01105d59f59286ca58e1425ab99950CAS |

[4]  ATSDR (2008) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/

[5]  Vogel, T.M. (1996) Bioaugmentation as a soil bioremediation approach. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 7, 311–316.
| 1:CAS:528:DyaK28XjvVKnu7o%3D&md5=62b7fbbf6541b186467ecd3aa0cece50CAS |

[6]  Hsien, T.Y. and Lin, Y.H. (2005) Biodegradation of phenolic wastewater in a fixed biofilm reactor. Biochem. Eng. J. 27, 95–103.
Biodegradation of phenolic wastewater in a fixed biofilm reactor.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXhtFShsrfN&md5=d2eeb82c32ff3d9091a8d460dfc0a7e8CAS |

[7]  Nuhoglu, A. and Yalcin, B. (2005) Modelling of phenol removal in a batch reactor. Process Biochem. 40, 1233–1239.
Modelling of phenol removal in a batch reactor.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXhtVaktr7O&md5=aaa3b6cce4c734f4a73611dbf221b260CAS |

[8]  Brenner, K. et al. (2008) Engineering microbial consortia: a new frontier in synthetic biology. Trends Biotechnol. 26, 483–489.
Engineering microbial consortia: a new frontier in synthetic biology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhtVShsL%2FM&md5=a04226ffba8df48488763d6e4ef4bd03CAS |

[9]  Jiang, Y. et al. (2007) Biodegradation of phenol at high initial concentration by Alcaligenes faecalis. J. Hazard. Mater. 147, 672–676.
Biodegradation of phenol at high initial concentration by Alcaligenes faecalis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXot1GgtL4%3D&md5=95bf493c7a3a1121d1c80f74af47d76cCAS |

[10]  Shong, J. et al. (2012) Towards synthetic microbial consortia for bioprocessing. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 23, 798–802.
Towards synthetic microbial consortia for bioprocessing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC38Xjt1ehur8%3D&md5=86a8f30b943f901abaf720f335c25150CAS |

[11]  Rodríguez-Martínez, E.M. et al. (2006) Microbial diversity and bioremediation of a hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 3, 292–300.
Microbial diversity and bioremediation of a hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[12]  Song, H. et al. (2009) Simultaneous Cr(VI) reduction and phenol degradation in pure cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa CCTCC AB91095. Bioresour. Technol. 100, 5079–5084.
Simultaneous Cr(VI) reduction and phenol degradation in pure cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa CCTCC AB91095.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXoslGhtb4%3D&md5=485e94f59fad6448c642e2b3efe6c443CAS |

[13]  Banerjee, A. and Ghoshal, A.K. (2010) Isolation and characterization of hyper phenol tolerant Bacillus sp. from oil refinery and exploration sites. J. Hazard. Mater. 176, 85–91.
Isolation and characterization of hyper phenol tolerant Bacillus sp. from oil refinery and exploration sites.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXpsVGgsg%3D%3D&md5=be214dc9afb6ae025de3e5b0fae73c8dCAS |

[14]  Kuang, Y. et al. (2013) Impact of Fe and Ni/Fe nanoparticles on biodegradation of phenol by the strain Bacillus fusiformis (BFN) at various pH values. Bioresour. Technol. 136, 588–594.
Impact of Fe and Ni/Fe nanoparticles on biodegradation of phenol by the strain Bacillus fusiformis (BFN) at various pH values.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXmvV2gsbg%3D&md5=199ed8feceb6814bdff1b1646b6d4596CAS |

[15]  Vidya Shetty, K. et al. (2007) Biological phenol removal using immobilized cells in a pulsed plate bioreactor: effect of dilution rate and influent phenol concentration. J. Hazard. Mater. 149, 452–459.
Biological phenol removal using immobilized cells in a pulsed plate bioreactor: effect of dilution rate and influent phenol concentration.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2srnvFGltg%3D%3D&md5=c79f04dc6e16a6918c4318bd543a3c94CAS |

[16]  Unell, M. et al. (2008) Degradation of mixtures of phenolic compounds by Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6. Biodegradation 19, 495–505.
Degradation of mixtures of phenolic compounds by Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXmsFKlt7o%3D&md5=20654f90405fa15b8e8bb0cdf8aedfbbCAS |

[17]  dos Santos, V.L. et al. (2009) Phenol degradation by Aureobasidium pullulans FE13 isolated from industrial effluents. J. Hazard. Mater. 161, 1413–1420.
Phenol degradation by Aureobasidium pullulans FE13 isolated from industrial effluents.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhsVSqsbnK&md5=71b599261e0d969e1b43f0af7453c16bCAS |

[18]  Silva, C.C. et al. (2013) Identification of genes and pathways related to phenol degradation in metagenomic libraries from petroleum refinery wastewater. PLoS One 8, e61811.
Identification of genes and pathways related to phenol degradation in metagenomic libraries from petroleum refinery wastewater.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXmvFaqsb0%3D&md5=b9dbc11529e981632c155870ac3379b8CAS |

[19]  Demeter, M.A. et al. (2014) Harnessing oil sands microbial communities for use in ex situ naphthenic acid bioremediation. Chemosphere 97, 78–85.
Harnessing oil sands microbial communities for use in ex situ naphthenic acid bioremediation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXhvFOgsb3P&md5=c61d1ac72f05dfec6c6116cb83064e7cCAS |

[20]  Fang, F. et al. (2013) Bioaugmentation of biological contact oxidation reactor (BCOR) with phenol-degrading bacteria for coal gasification wastewater (CGW) treatment. Bioresour. Technol. 150, 314–320.
Bioaugmentation of biological contact oxidation reactor (BCOR) with phenol-degrading bacteria for coal gasification wastewater (CGW) treatment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXhvFWksbfL&md5=f8202839a86d35618d5b67c5e2011985CAS |

[21]  Felföldi, T. et al. (2010) Polyphasic bacterial community analysis of an aerobic activated sludge removing phenols and thiocyanate from coke plant effluent. Bioresour. Technol. 101, 3406–3414.
Polyphasic bacterial community analysis of an aerobic activated sludge removing phenols and thiocyanate from coke plant effluent.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[22]  Poi, G. et al. (2017) Bioremediation of phenol-contaminated industrial wastewater using a bacterial consortium—from laboratory to field. Water Air Soil Pollut. 228, 89.
Bioremediation of phenol-contaminated industrial wastewater using a bacterial consortium—from laboratory to field.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |