Interaction of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Aerobic Granular Sludge : Biosorption and Microbial Degradation

Abstract EN

As a new category of persistent organic pollutants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have become ubiquitous global environmental contaminants.

No literature is available on the aerobic biotransformation of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209).

Herein, we investigated the interaction of PBDEs with aerobic granular sludge.

The results show that the removal of BDE-209 from wastewater is mainly via biosorption onto aerobic granular sludge.

The uptake capacity increased when temperature, contact time, and sludge dosage increased or solution pH dropped.

Ionic strength had a negative influence on BDE-209 adsorption.

The modified pseudo first-order kinetic model was appropriate to describe the adsorption kinetics.

Microbial debromination of BDE-209 did not occur during the first 30 days of operation.

Further study found that aerobic microbial degradation of 4,4′-dibromodiphenyl ether happened with the production of lower BDE congeners.