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Standardization of activated sludge for biodegradation tests

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Abstract

Activated sludges are an inoculum source commonly used in biodegradation studies, as wastewater treatment facilities constitute an entry point to the environment for many chemicals. In this paper, the main issues relating to the use of activated sludge in biodegradability tests are presented. Special attention is also devoted to discussing the factors affecting both the activity of the microbial communities and the test results. After a short survey of the state of the art of microbiology of activated sludge, the paper focuses on the methods used to reduce the variations in the diversity, quality and quantity of these communities. Finally, use of surrogates as reference materials in biodegradability tests is discussed.

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Abbreviations

BDOC:

Biodegradable dissolved organic carbon

BOD:

Biochemical oxygen demand

CFU:

Colony-forming units

DAPI:

4',6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole

DBS:

Dodecyl benzene sulfonate

DHA:

Dehydrogenase activity

DOC:

Dissolved organic carbon

EU:

European Union

INT:

2-(4-Iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyltetrazolium chloride

INT-F:

Formazan of 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4 nitrophenyl)-5-phenyltetrazolium

MLR:

Mass loading rate

NTA:

Nitrilotriacetic acid

OECD:

Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development

P/vP:

Persistent/very persistent

PBT:

Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic

PE:

Pentaerythritol

PLFA:

Phospholipid fatty acid

RBT:

Ready biodegradability test

REACH:

Registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemical substances

SA:

Sodium acetate

SRT:

Sludge retention time

TSS:

Total suspended solids

vPvB:

Very persistent and very bioaccumulative

VSS:

Volatile suspended solids

WWTP:

Wastewater treatment plant

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely appreciate the help of Mr Randall Lewis in improving the English of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones Químicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Cd. Universitaria, Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km. 4.5, Pachuca Hgo, 42184, Mexico

    Gabriela A. Vázquez-Rodríguez, Rosa Icela Beltrán-Hernández & Claudia Coronel-Olivares

  2. Université de Toulouse, UPS, INP; EcoLab (Laboratoire d’écologie fonctionnelle et environnement), 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France

    Jean-Luc Rols

  3. CNRS; EcoLab, 31062, Toulouse, France

    Jean-Luc Rols

Authors
  1. Gabriela A. Vázquez-Rodríguez
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  2. Rosa Icela Beltrán-Hernández
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  3. Claudia Coronel-Olivares
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  4. Jean-Luc Rols
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Correspondence to Gabriela A. Vázquez-Rodríguez.

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Vázquez-Rodríguez, G.A., Beltrán-Hernández, R.I., Coronel-Olivares, C. et al. Standardization of activated sludge for biodegradation tests. Anal Bioanal Chem 401, 1127–1137 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-5212-z

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