Cometabolism degradation of lignin in sequencing batch biofilm reactors

Abstract

Cometabolism technology was employed to degrade lignin wastewater in Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor. Cometabolic system (with glucose and lignin in inflow) and the control group (only lignin in inflow) were established to do a comparative study. In contrast with the control group, the average removal rates of lignin increased by 14.7% and total oarganic carbon increased by 32% in the cometabolic system with glucose as growth substrate, under the condition of 5 mg/L DO, 0.2 kgCOD/(m3·d) lignin and glucose 1.0 kgCOD/(m3·d). Functional groups of lignin are degraded effectively in cometabolic system proved by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer, and the degradation products were amides (mainly including acetamide, N-ethylacetamide and N, N-diethylacetamide), alcohols (mainly including glycerol and ethylene glycol) and acids. Meanwhile, results of Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis showed great differences in microbial population richness between cometabolic system and the control group. The Margalef’s richness index and Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index of microorganism in cometabolic system were 3.075 and 2.61, respectively. The results showed that extra addition of glucose, with a concentration of 943 mg/L, was beneficial to lignin biodegradation in cometabolic system.