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Anaerobic Microbial Processes for Energy Conservation and Biotransformation of Pollutants

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Anaerobic Microbial Processes for Energy Conservation and Biotransformation of Pollutants Anaerobic processes for energy conservation and biotransformation of pollutans Lara M. Paulo M. Lara of pollutans and biotransformation conservation energy for processes Anaerobic Anaerobic microbial processes for energy conservation and biotransformation of pollutants Lara da Luz Ferreira Martins Paulo Propositions 1. Metal supplementation can be used as a strategy to enhance environmental biotechnological processes. (this thesis) 2. Microbial community analysis provides crucial information to understand a particular biological system (this thesis) 3. Scientists are often unsure how to use statistical tools correctly. 4. With their statement ”Life is a net exergonic chemical reaction, it releases energy to go forward.”, Sousa et al. (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 368: 20130088, 2013) ignored that a small input of energy is always required. 5. Besides scientific skills, good scientific collaborations are also necessary to finish a PhD. 6. The deprivation of sunlight has great impact on a person’s happiness and mood. Propositions belonging to the thesis, entitled ‘’Anaerobic microbial processes for energy conservation and biotransformation of pollutants’’ Lara da Luz Ferreira Martins Paulo Wageningen, 8 May 2017 Anaerobic microbial processes for energy conservation and biotransformation of pollutants Lara da Luz Ferreira Martins Paulo Anaerobic microbial processes for energy conservation and Thesis committee biotransformation of pollutants Promotor Prof. Dr Alfons J. M. Stams Personal chair at the Laboratory of Microbiology Wageningen University & Research Lara da Luz Ferreira Martins Paulo Co-promotor Dr Diana Z. Sousa Assistant Professor, Laboratory of Microbiology Wageningen University & Research Thesis Other members submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor Prof. Dr Grietje Zeeman, Wageningen University & Research at Wageningen University Prof. Dr Vincent O’Flaherty, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland by the authority of the Rector Magnificus Prof. Dr Jules van Lier, Delft University of Technology Prof. Dr A.P.J.Mol, Dr Frank van der Zee, Veolia Water Technologies Techno Centre Netherlands B.V., in presence of the Delft Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public This research was conducted under the auspices of the Graduate School for Socio- on Monday 8 May 2017 Economic and Natural Sciences of the Environment (SENSE) at 1:30 p.m. in the Aula. Anaerobic microbial processes for energy conservation and Thesis committee biotransformation of pollutants Promotor Prof. Dr Alfons J. M. Stams Personal chair at the Laboratory of Microbiology Wageningen University & Research Lara da Luz Ferreira Martins Paulo Co-promotor Dr Diana Z. Sousa Assistant Professor, Laboratory of Microbiology Wageningen University & Research Thesis Other members submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor Prof. Dr Grietje Zeeman, Wageningen University & Research at Wageningen University Prof. Dr Vincent O’Flaherty, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland by the authority of the Rector Magnificus Prof. Dr Jules van Lier, Delft University of Technology Prof. Dr A.P.J.Mol, Dr Frank van der Zee, Veolia Water Technologies Techno Centre Netherlands B.V., in presence of the Delft Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public This research was conducted under the auspices of the Graduate School for Socio- on Monday 8 May 2017 Economic and Natural Sciences of the Environment (SENSE) at 1:30 p.m. in the Aula. To my grandmother Para a minha avó Lara da Luz Ferreira Martins Paulo Anaerobic microbial processes for energy conservation and biotransformation of pollutants, 234 pages. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands (2017) With references, with summary in English ISBN 978-94-6343-112-5 DOI: 10.18174/407476 To my grandmother Para a minha avó Lara da Luz Ferreira Martins Paulo Anaerobic microbial processes for energy conservation and biotransformation of pollutants, 234 pages. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands (2017) With references, with summary in English ISBN 978-94-6343-112-5 DOI: 10.18174/407476 Table of Contents Chapter 1 General introduction and thesis outline 9 Chapter 2 Methanogens, sulphate and heavy metals: a complex 41 system Chapter 3 Stimulation and inhibition of methanogenic 71 enrichment cultures by nickel or cobalt Chapter 4 Metal supplementation to enhance DCE and PCE 99 dechlorination in enriched cultures Chapter 5 Nickel, cobalt and iron enhance co-metabolic 1-2- 127 dichloroethene (DCE) dechlorination by Methanosarcina barkeri Chapter 6 Effect of sulphate on electromethanogenesis by an 145 enriched microbial community Chapter 7 General discussion 169 Supplementary material 181 Appendices References 190 Summary 219 Acknowledgments 222 About the author 230 List of publications 231 Overview of completed training activities 232 Table of Contents Chapter 1 General introduction and thesis outline 9 Chapter 2 Methanogens, sulphate and heavy metals: a complex 41 system Chapter 3 Stimulation and inhibition of methanogenic 71 enrichment cultures by nickel or cobalt Chapter 4 Metal supplementation to enhance DCE and PCE 99 dechlorination in enriched cultures Chapter 5 Nickel, cobalt and iron enhance co-metabolic 1-2- 127 dichloroethene (DCE) dechlorination by Methanosarcina barkeri Chapter 6 Effect of sulphate on electromethanogenesis by an 145 enriched microbial community Chapter 7 General discussion 169 Supplementary material 181 Appendices References 190 Summary 219 Acknowledgments 222 About the author 230 List of publications 231 Overview of completed training activities 232 Chapter 1 General introduction and thesis outline Chapter 1 General Introduction 1.1. Anaerobic processes for methane production from waste and Table 1.1 – Advantages and disadvantages of AD and BES for wastewater treatment and biogas production (Pham et al., 2006; McCarty, 2001; Li et al., 2014; Liu and Cheng, 2014; Pandey et al., wastewater 2016). Global energy demand continues to rise quickly. Currently, 86 to 88% of the energy AD BES supplied in the world is from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil or natural gas (Shah, 2014; Advantages Well optimized reactors Can be applied at small scale Weiland, 2010). The reliance on fossil fuels to fulfil energy requirements, in a near High bioconversion efficiency Enables direct electricity recovery (~90%) future, is impractible: reserves of this type of fuels are limited and depleting at a fast Low energy consumption Industrial scale feasibility No need of temperature control rate; and, CO2 emissions derived from the utilization of fossil fuels are one of the Well suited for wastewaters Low sludge production major contributors for the greenhouse effect (Shah, 2014; Weiland, 2010; Scragg, containing high chemical organic Good effluent quality demand (COD) levels 2009). It is time to shift towards more sustainable and renewable sources of energy. Effective removal of some specific Already widely applied in WWTPs contaminants, such as nutrients, Biogas is a good alternative renewable energy source, as it can be used to produce Low sludge production dyes or metals power and heat, or used as transport fuel (Weiland, 2010). Biogas is produced Efficient removal of pathogens Efficient for treating wastewaters Low operational costs containing low COD levels anaerobically from organic waste and wastewater, or energy crops and it consists of Enables separation of processes methane (50-75%), CO2 (25-50%), and small quantities of other components, such between the anode and the cathode, decreasing the inhibitory effect of as water, H2S, and O2 (Gomez, 2013). Wastewaters store a high energy potential; it some compounds is estimated that municipal wastewater stores 3 to 10 times more energy than what is Can be applied to produce different specific valuable compounds besides nowadays required for its treatment (Liu and Cheng, 2014; Gude, 2016). methane, e.g. hydrogen peroxide, Recovering that energy is crucial to make the wastewater treatment process more acetate or ethanol Disadvantages sustainable and it will have a great impact on fulfilling the world’s energy Not very efficient at low High cost of materials and temperatures (below 30°C) maintenance requirements. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been applied for several decades for The quality of the biogas is often low Problems with internal resistance this, with installations spread all over the world. In recent years, Bioelectrochemical due to H2S contamination and overpotentials Requires high organic load Poor long-term stability Systems (BESs) have gained interest as a promising technology to recover energy and Low effluent quality Still difficult to scale-up resources from wastewaters as well. They can be applied alone or in combination High sensitivity of microbial Low power production levels, with other processes, such as AD, algae treatment, or electrodialysis (Liu and community to environmental stress, especially in larger scales like temperature changes or presence Low methane production rate and Cheng, 2014). Both the conventional AD systems and the more avant-garde BES have of inhibitory compounds, that leads purity some advantages and disadvantages that are summarised in Table 1.1. to process failure 10 11 Chapter 1 General Introduction 1.1. Anaerobic processes for methane production from waste and Table 1.1 – Advantages and disadvantages of AD and BES for wastewater treatment and biogas
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