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Functional selection of bacteria in an activated sludge reactor for application in saline wastewater treatment in Kerkennah, Tunisia

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Abstract

Domestic wastewater entering the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of Kerkennah (Tunisia) contains high organic load and high salinity. The biological treatment of these influents with conventional microorganisms has proven to be not very effective, which might be improved by functionally selected halotolerant/halophilic heterotrophic bacteria. Therefore, a laboratory-scaled activated sludge reactor (ASR) was used for a continuous treatment of this wastewater. The performance of the ASR, inoculated with a mixed culture of active biomass gradually acclimated to the wastewater, was evaluated in terms of carbonaceous pollutant removal efficiency. Experiments were conducted at different organic loading rates (OLRs, varying from 250 to 1200 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/l.d). The descriptive analysis showed that the removal efficiency (r) of the ASR was high, peaking at 95% for CODr in medium OLRs, and up to 99% for Biological oxygen demand (BODr) and total suspended solids for high OLRs and salinity. The overall removal efficiency was improved by 1/3th or more compared to the WWTP by these selected and acclimated bacteria. The different observations were combined in an innovative statistical design of Hierarchical clustering. This method improves on traditional approaches by allowing flexibility in understanding the complex variations within the WWTP and the ASR. The identification of the bacterial biomass responsible for high BODr in the ASR by conventional microbiology demonstrated the dominance of Proteus mirabilis and Aeromonas hydrophila. The 16S rRNA gene gave a more accurate identification, indicating a great bacterial diversity and the possibility of a new species.

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Acknowledgments

This research work has been realized in partnership with the National Sanitation Office (ONAS) (Sfax) and Faculty of Sciences of Sfax (FSS) (Laboratory of Toxicologie—Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé). It is supported by a program funded by the European Union entitled “Support project for scientific research and innovation (PASRI)” as well as “the National Agency for the Promotion of Scientific Research (ANPR)” for the 2017–2019 MOBIDOC grants. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Mrs. Leila Mahfoudhi from the English Language Unit at the Faculty of Science of Sfax, Tunisia, for editing and proofreading the language of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Recherche Toxicologie- Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (LR17ES06), Département des Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Universite de Sfax, Route de Soukra km 3,5, BP 1171, 3000, Sfax, Tunisia

    I. Boujelben, S. Sabri, R. Gdoura & L. Khannous

  2. Office National de l’Assainissement (ONAS), Rue Ahmed Aloulou, 3028, Sfax, Tunisia

    I. Boujelben & M. ben Makhlouf

  3. Laboratory of Clinical Digestive Oncology, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Geb. Onderwijs & Navorsing 1, 6e verd, room 06.671 Herestraat 49, Bus 818, 3000, Louvain, Belgium

    J. van Pelt

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  1. I. Boujelben
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  2. S. Sabri
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  3. J. van Pelt
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  4. M. ben Makhlouf
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  5. R. Gdoura
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  6. L. Khannous
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Correspondence to I. Boujelben.

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Editorial responsibility: Samareh Mirkia.

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Boujelben, I., Sabri, S., van Pelt, J. et al. Functional selection of bacteria in an activated sludge reactor for application in saline wastewater treatment in Kerkennah, Tunisia. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 18, 1561–1578 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-02928-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-020-02928-1

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