Solid-state 13C NMR to assess organic matter transformation in a subsurface wetland under cheese-dairy farm effluents

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 100; no. 20; pp. 4899 - 4902
• Main Authors: Farnet, A.M., Prudent, P., Ziarelli, F., Domeizel, M., Gros, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2009; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; biotransformation; Cheese; Cheese-dairy wastewater; cheesemaking; chemical oxygen demand; dairy farming; Dairying; effluents; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mediterranean climate; microbial activity; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Organic Chemicals - analysis; organic matter; Principal Component Analysis; Seasons; Soil microbial activities; Solid-state 13C NMR; Surface Properties; total Kjeldahl nitrogen; Use and upgrading of agricultural and food by-products. Biotechnology; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; Waste Disposal, Fluid; wastewater; wastewater treatment; Wetlands; Cheese-dairy wastewater; Solid-state 13C NMR; Soil microbial activities; Microbial activity; Organic matter; Dairy plant by product; C NMR; Cheese; Milk production; Solid state; Soils; C-13; Solid-state; Liquid effluent; Agricultural waste; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Wetland; Subsurface
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.05.007

Solid-state 13C NMR were used to follow organic matter transformation in a subsurface wetland under the effluent of a small cheese-dairy farm under a Mediterranean climate. The results showed that the ratios commonly used to quantify humification, (aromaticity and Alkyl-C/ O-Alkyl-C ratios) can be considered as relevant chemical indicators of organic matter transformation. Polysaccharides were transformed throughout the subsurface wetland whereas aromatic, phenolic and alkyl compounds accumulated. Furthermore, Phenolic-C signal and O-Alkyl-C signal were negatively correlated to proteases and β-galactosidase activities showing that recalcitrant molecules actually accumulated. These results were correlated with high purification yields: the average decrease in chemical demand in oxygen was 90.75% and that in Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen was 75.65%. Thus subsurface wetlands can be considered as an efficient technology to purify effluents with high organic matter contents, such as cheese-dairy effluent, under drastic climate conditions. Furthermore this study highlights the fact that solid-state 13C NMR is a suitable tool to follow organic matter transformation.