TY - JOUR
T1 - Toxicity of copper(II) ions to microorganisms in biological wastewater treatment systems
AU - Ochoa-Herrera, Valeria
AU - León, Glendy
AU - Banihani, Qais
AU - Field, Jim A.
AU - Sierra-Alvarez, Reyes
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was conducted with financial support from the Semiconductor Research Corporation/Sematech Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing .
PY - 2011/12/15
Y1 - 2011/12/15
N2 - Copper is an essential element, however, this heavy metal is an inhibitor of microbial activity at relatively low concentrations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of copper(II) towards various microbial trophic groups responsible for the removal of organic constituents and nutrients in wastewater treatment processes. The results of the batch bioassays indicated that copper(II) caused severe inhibition of key microbial populations in wastewater treatment systems. Denitrifying bacteria were found to be very sensitive to the presence of copper(II). The concentrations of copper(II) causing 50% inhibition (IC 50) on the metabolic activity of denitrifiers was 0.95mgL -1. Copper was also inhibitory to fermentative bacteria, aerobic glucose-degrading heterotrophs, and nitrifying bacteria (IC 50 values=3.5, 4.6 and 26.5mgL -1, respectively). Nonetheless, denitrifying and nitrifying bacteria showed considerable recovery of their metabolic activity after only several days of exposure to high copper levels (up to 25 and 100mg Cu(II) L -1 for denitrification and nitrification, respectively). The recovery could be due to attenuation of soluble copper or to microbial adaptation.
AB - Copper is an essential element, however, this heavy metal is an inhibitor of microbial activity at relatively low concentrations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of copper(II) towards various microbial trophic groups responsible for the removal of organic constituents and nutrients in wastewater treatment processes. The results of the batch bioassays indicated that copper(II) caused severe inhibition of key microbial populations in wastewater treatment systems. Denitrifying bacteria were found to be very sensitive to the presence of copper(II). The concentrations of copper(II) causing 50% inhibition (IC 50) on the metabolic activity of denitrifiers was 0.95mgL -1. Copper was also inhibitory to fermentative bacteria, aerobic glucose-degrading heterotrophs, and nitrifying bacteria (IC 50 values=3.5, 4.6 and 26.5mgL -1, respectively). Nonetheless, denitrifying and nitrifying bacteria showed considerable recovery of their metabolic activity after only several days of exposure to high copper levels (up to 25 and 100mg Cu(II) L -1 for denitrification and nitrification, respectively). The recovery could be due to attenuation of soluble copper or to microbial adaptation.
KW - Activated sludge treatment
KW - Copper
KW - Denitrification
KW - Fermentation
KW - Microbial toxicity
KW - Nitrification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84855823009&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.09.072
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.09.072
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 22030247
AN - SCOPUS:84855823009
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 412-413
SP - 380
EP - 385
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
ER -