Intensification and immobilization of dominant biocommunity

Dominant microflora is selected by artificial screening and domesticating or directive breeding through biological engineering technology. Separation is the first step for getting dominant biocommunity. However, the filtered biocommunity may contain pathogenic bacteria, or with low-rated growth or high requirements for nutrition, which make it inadaptable for practical application, therefore, preliminary screening is indispensable for guaranteeing the security of selected bacterial strains. Due to the high complexity of biofacies, various species but less nutrition matrix in water, low-activated bacterial strain screened. This situation makes a relatively high disparity from the effective biological treatment. Therefore, intensification on selected bacterial strain is necessary. The process of intensification is actually the process of induction and variation of biocommunity. By changing nutritional conditions repeatedly, the bacterial strain will gradually adapt to the poor nutrition environment in fluctuation, so that the bacterial strain immobilized on activated carbon can preserve a strong ability for biodegradation[33].

During IBAC treatment, the process of microorganisms immobilizing is of great complexity, which is not only related to various acting forces, but also involves microorganism growth as well as the ability for producing extracellular and external appendages[34]. DLVO theory can give a better explanation that how bacteria are attached, when bacteria are regarded as colloidal particles[35-37]. Although there is a relatively high repulsive force during the process when the bacteria approaching to the activated carbon, the bacteria will ultimately contact with the activated carbon under the bridging effect of EPSs[38]. The bacteria may take advantage of the bridging effect with surficial particles, which enables the attachment of itself with filter materials at secondary extreme point in accordance with the theoretical level diagram of DLVO theory, rather than by the certain distance or overcoming the necessary energy peak as that of non-biological particle[39], see Fig. 10. for details. Although there are various ways to immobilize microorganisms, and any method with a limitation for free — flowing of microorganisms can be used to produce and immobilize microorganisms, an ideal and universal application way for immobilizing microorganisms is still not available. There are 4 common methods of immobilization, see Table 3 [40-42] for details.

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Figure 10. Total potential energy for express microbial immobility on activated carbon based on DLVO theory and short-range force

Property

Covalention

Adsorption

Covalent

Embedding

Implementing difficulty

Moderate

Easy

Difficult

Moderate

Binding force

Strong

Weak

Strong

Moderate

Active surface

Low

High

Low

Moderate

Immobilized cost

Moderate

Low

High

Low

Viability

No

Yes

No

Yes

Applicability

Bad

Moderate

Bad

Good

Stability

High

Low

High

High

Carrier regeneration

Unable

Able

Unable

Unable

Steric hindrance

Larger

Small

Larger

Large

Table 3. Comparison of the methods for immobilization of common microorganisms