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Immobilisation of SRB on different support materials

University of British Columbia

The attachment and growth of sulphate reducing bacteria to solid supports, under autotrophic conditions, made from different materials was studied in this project. The study of the immobilisation of SRB to different support surfaces was conducted in two parts. In the first study, glass beads, ceramic beads, molecular sieve, Teflon/plastic pieces, and zeolite supports were used. The purpose of this study was to determine i f the selected analytical techniques were appropriate methods to monitor the biomass and sulphate concentrations present in the batch flasks. Both the turbidimetric and methylthymol blue methods of sulphate analysis are considered valid techniques to monitor sulphate concentrations. TKN is considered an appropriate method for enumerating SRB biomass, whereas measurements using the total solids and protein led to erroneous results. In the second study, foam, basalt, Ringlace and alginate beads were used as immobilisation surfaces. The amount of biomass immobilised on the different materials was monitored and compared to the total biomass in the system in an effort to quantify which support would be suitable for an immobilised bioreactor system. In order of decreasing immobilisation, compared to freely suspended biomass, is alginate beads (84%) > foam (79%) > Ringlace (37%), while the biomass on the basalt was below the detection limit of the TKN analysis. A study of SRB growth in the complex and defined media showed that SRB were able to grow in both nutrient mediums. However, the specific activity of the SRB in the complex media was greater than that in the defined media, 0.097 and 0.015/h, respectively. The CO₂ uptake was first initiated in the defined media solution at a rate of 1.81xl⁻⁰⁵ mol C0₂/(L.h) , while the uptake of CO₂ in the complex media was initiated after approximately 150 hours at a rate of 0.38xl0⁻⁰⁵ mol CO₂ /(L.h).

Thesis/Dissertation

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2009-07-06

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/10240

Civil Engineering

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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