Improvement of bacterial methane elimination using porous ceramsite as biocarrier

• Published in: Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology (1986) Vol. 93; no. 8; pp. 2406 - 2414
• Main Authors: Sun, Meng‐Ting, Yang, Zhi‐Man, Lu, Jun, Fan, Xiao‐Lei, Guo, Rong‐Bo, Fu, Shan‐Fei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.08.2018; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Biofilters; Biofiltration; Climate change; Consortia; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Immobilization; Landfills; Methane; methane elimination; methane‐oxidizing bacteria; Microorganisms; Organic chemistry; Oxidation; Porosity; porous ceramsite; Porous materials; Soil porosity; Surface properties; Waste disposal sites
• ISSN: 0268-2575; 1097-4660
• DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5589

BACKGROUND Methane is a greenhouse gas (GHG) which contributes to climate change. Biofiltration with immobilized methane‐oxidizing bacteria (MOB) is a promising option to eliminate methane. In order to achieve high methane removal efficiency (RE), the appropriate carrier material with favorable characteristics to perform well in MOB immobilization and methane elimination, must be selected. RESULTS A MOB consortium was enriched from landfill soil and immobilized on porous materials to eliminate methane at high (∼20% (v/v)) and low (∼1% (v/v)) concentrations. The methane elimination capacities of immobilized MOB were evaluated and the microbial immobilization abilities of materials were compared. Results showed that MOB inoculated in black ceramsite (BC) permitted the highest elimination capacity (EC) of 5.36 ± 0.29 µmol h‐1 cm‐3 at the methane concentration of ∼20% (v/v), which was almost 3.6 times that of suspended cells. At a methane concentration of ∼1% (v/v), the MOB incorporated with red ceramsite (RC) exhibited the optimal EC of 1.48 ± 0.03 µmol h‐1 cm‐3, which was 64% higher than the control. Biophosphorus tests showed that BC and RC could immobilize more MOB cells than active carbon (AC), and SEM images, MB adsorption tests, BET and FTIR indicated that their large pore and surface properties might favor MOB immobilization. CONCLUSION Ceramsite with desirable porosity and surface properties could promote MOB immobilization, and further improve the methane elimination capacity, and might be a favorable biocarrier in MOB biofilters. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry