Browsing by Author "Holden, B."

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    Bioaugmentation of pilot-scale slow sand filters can achieve compliant levels for the micropollutant metaldehyde in a real water matrix
    (Elsevier, 2022-01-14) Castro-Gutierrez, V. M.; Pickering, Laura; Cambronero-Heinrichs, J. C.; Holden, B.; Haley, J.; Jarvis, Peter; Jefferson, Bruce; Helgason, T.; Moir, J. W.; Hassard, Francis
    Metaldehyde is a polar, mobile, low molecular weight pesticide that is challenging to remove from drinking water with current adsorption-based micropollutant treatment technologies. Alternative strategies to remove this and compounds with similar properties are necessary to ensure an adequate supply of safe and regulation-compliant drinking water. Biological removal of metaldehyde below the 0.1 µg•L−1 regulatory concentration was attained in pilot-scale slow sand filters (SSFs) subject to bioaugmentation with metaldehyde-degrading bacteria. To achieve this, a library of degraders was first screened in bench-scale assays for removal at micropollutant concentrations in progressively more challenging conditions, including a mixed microbial community with multiple carbon sources. The best performing strains, A. calcoaceticus E1 and Sphingobium CMET-H, showed removal rates of 0.0012 µg•h−1•107 cells−1 and 0.019 µg•h−1•107 cells−1 at this scale. These candidates were then used as inocula for bioaugmentation of pilot-scale SSFs. Here, removal of metaldehyde by A. calcoaceticus E1, was insufficient to achieve compliant water regardless testing increasing cell concentrations. Quantification of metaldehyde-degrading genes indicated that aggregation and inadequate distribution of the inoculum in the filters were the likely causes of this outcome. Conversely, bioaugmentation with Sphingobium CMET-H enabled sufficient metaldehyde removal to achieve compliance, with undetectable levels in treated water for at least 14 d (volumetric removal: 0.57 µg•L−1•h−1). Bioaugmentation did not affect the background SSF microbial community, and filter function was maintained throughout the trial. Here it has been shown for the first time that bioaugmentation is an efficient strategy to remove the adsorption-resistant pesticide metaldehyde from a real water matrix in upscaled systems. Swift contaminant removal after inoculum addition and persistent activity are two remarkable attributes of this approach that would allow it to effectively manage peaks in metaldehyde concentrations (due to precipitation or increased application) in incoming raw water by matching them with high enough degrading populations. This study provides an example of how stepwise screening of a diverse collection of degraders can lead to successful bioaugmentation and can be used as a template for other problematic adsorption-resistant compounds in drinking water purification.
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    Low energy ballasted flotation
    (Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2009-08-01T00:00:00Z) Jarvis, Peter; Buckingham, P.; Holden, B.; Jefferson, Bruce
    A novel process which involves the replacement or supplementation of bubbles in the dissolved air flotation process with low density beads is presented. The work comprised a series of bench-scale flotation trials treating three commonly encountered algal species (Microcystis, Melosira and Chlorella) that were removed in a flotation cell configured as either: conventional dissolved air flotation (DAF); ballasted flotation using low density 70 μm glass beads with a density of 100 kg m−3; or a hybrid process of ballasted flotation combined with conventional DAF. Results indicated that the bead only system was capable of achieving better residual turbidity than standard DAF at bead concentrations of 500 mg L−1. Addition of beads in combination with standard DAF reduced turbidity further to even lower residual turbidity levels. Algae removal was improved when glass beads were dosed, but removal was dependent on algal species. Microcystis was removed by 97% for bead only systems and this removal did not change significantly with the addition of air bubbles. Melosira was the next best removed algae with bead only dosed systems giving similar removals to that achieved by standard DAF using a 10% air recycle ratio (81 and 76% removal respectively). Chlorella was the least well removed algae by bead only systems (63% removal). However, removal was rapidly improved to 86% by the addition of air bubbles using only a 2% recycle ratio. Energy estimations suggested that at least a 50% energy reduction could be achieved using the process offering a potential route for future development of low energy separation processes for algae rem