Selection of a Very Active Microbial Community for the Coupled Treatment of Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide and Photoresist in Aqueous Solutions

Giulio Moretti, Federica Matteucci, Matteo Saraullo, Francesco Vegliò and Maddalena Del Gallo
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Giulio Moretti: Department of Life, Health, and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Federica Matteucci: Department of Life, Health, and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Matteo Saraullo: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Francesco Vegliò: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Maddalena Del Gallo: Department of Life, Health, and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Aerobic treatment of wastewater containing Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and photoresist was investigated using a lab scale reactor inoculated with activated sludge coming from urban wastewater treatment that never received TMAH before. The consumption of TMAH was monitored by liquid ion chromatography. Biodiversity indices were calculated from Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) bands distribution and used to estimate changes in community composition related to adaptation to the new feeding compound. The first week of adaptation was crucial, and it was analyzed in detail: many organisms died, and the microbial community suffered a great shock. TMAH levels remained constant through the first four days, and then suddenly dropped to undetectable, and at the same time NH 4 + increased. When the community showed complete adaptation, predominant groups of bacteria were obtained by the Illumina sequencing of 16s rDNA amplicons, to provide insights on ecology of the adapted community, focusing on the main actors of TMAH abatement. Richness of species ( Rr ) peaks suggest that the development of TMAH-consuming bacteria leads to persistent consortia that maintain toxicity resistance over time. This showed adaptation and changes of the population to the different feeding conditions, and it opens new perspectives in the in situ treatment of these important residues of industrial processes without relying on external processing plants.

Keywords: Tetramethylammonium hydroxide; photoresist; DGGE; NGS; microbial ecological indices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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