Evaluation of modified basalt fiber as biological carrier media for wastewater treatment with the extended DLVO theory model

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 26; no. 29; pp. 29789 - 29798
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xiaoying, Wei, Jing, Zhou, Xiangtong, Horio, Akihiro, Li, Shanwei, Chen, Yuanyuan, Jiang, Suying, Liang, Zhishui, Wu, Zhiren, Qiu, Fengxian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.10.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adhesion; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacterial Adhesion; Basalt; Bioreactors - microbiology; Cells, Immobilized - chemistry; Contact angle; Contact potentials; E coli; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Electrostatic properties; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - growth & development; Escherichia coli - physiology; Functional groups; Hydrophilicity; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Immobilization; Microbial Viability; Microorganisms; Mineral Fibers; Models, Theoretical; Research Article; Sewage - chemistry; Silicates - chemistry; Static Electricity; Surface Properties; Waste Water - chemistry; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater treatment; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water Purification - methods; Water treatment; Zeta potential; Extended DLVO theory; Bio-carrier; Basalt fiber; Electro-positivity; Wastewater treatment
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06133-7

In this study, environment-friendly inorganic basalt fiber (BF) was used as bio-carrier for wastewater treatment. To enhance the bio-affinity, raw BF was modified by grafting the diethylamino functional groups to make the surface more hydrophilic and electro-positive. Contact angle and zeta potential of modified basalt fiber (MBF) were characterized. The capacity of MBF bio-carriers was evaluated by microorganism immobilization tests. To explain the mechanism of capacity enhancement by modification, the profiles of total interaction energy barrier between raw BF (or MBF) and bacteria ( Escherichia coli , E. coli ) were discussed based on the extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory. The results showed the contact angle of fiber decreased from 89.71° to 63.08° after modification, and zeta potential increased from − 18.53 to +10.58 mV. The microorganism immobilization tests showed that the surface modification accelerated the initial bacterial adhesion on fiber. The total interaction energy barrier between MBF and E. coli disappeared as a result of electrostatic and hydrophilic attractive forces, and enhanced the irreversible adhesion. MBF bio-carrier medium provides a promising alternative to conventional bio-carrier materials for wastewater treatment. Graphical abstract