Abstract
This study investigated the removal of selenite from wastewater using the fungus Asergillus niger KP isolated from a laboratory scale inverse fluidized bed bioreactor. The effect of different carbon sources and initial selenite concentration on fungal growth, pellet formation and selenite removal was first examined in a batch system. The fungal strain showed a maximum selenite removal efficiency of 86% in the batch system. Analysis of the fungal pellets by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, field-emission transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed the formation of spherical-shaped elemental selenium nanoparticles of size 65–100 nm. An increase in the initial selenite concentration in the media resulted in compact pellets with smooth hyphae structure, whereas the fungal pellets contained hair like hyphae structure when grown in the absence of selenite. Besides, a high initial selenite concentration reduced biomass growth and selenite removal from solution. Using an airlift reactor with fungal pellets, operated under continuous mode, a maximum selenite removal of 94.3% was achieved at 10 mg L−1 of influent selenite concentration and 72 h HRT (hydraulic retention time). Overall, this study demonstrated very good potential of the fungal-pelleted airlift bioreactor system for removal of selenite from wastewater.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering and Central Instrumentation Facility, IIT Guwahati, for providing the necessary support for this research work. Authors are grateful to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India, for funding this research work (CSIR/22(0740)/17/EMR-II).
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Highlights
Very high selenite removal using fungal pellets of Aspergillus niger KP is reported.
Se exposure affected morphology of the fungal pellets.
Spherical-shaped selenium nanoparticles were accumulated inside the cell.
Airlift reactor (ALR) is highly suited for continuous Se removal and recovery as nanoparticle.
Low inlet selenite concentration and 72 h HRT favoured the best selenite removal using ALR
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Negi, B.B., Sinharoy, A. & Pakshirajan, K. Selenite removal from wastewater using fungal pelleted airlift bioreactor. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 992–1003 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06946-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06946-6