Sustainable Microbial Lead Removal Using an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor: Advancing Eco-Friendly Solutions for Heavy Metal Remediation

Bayandza M. Manzini, Carla Cilliers, Job Tatenda Tendenedzai, Nils H. Haneklaus (), Evans Chirwa and Hendrik G. Brink ()
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Bayandza M. Manzini: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
Carla Cilliers: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
Job Tatenda Tendenedzai: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
Nils H. Haneklaus: Transdisciplinary Laboratory Sustainable Mineral Resources, University for Continuing Education Krems, 3500 Krems, Austria
Evans Chirwa: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
Hendrik G. Brink: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 23, 1-21

Abstract: This study investigates the use of a UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) reactor operating under continuous anoxic conditions to remediate Pb(II) contamination in aqueous environments. Two experimental runs were conducted to evaluate the microbiome’s performance in removing Pb(II) at varying concentrations, ranging from 80 to 2000 ppm, while monitoring nitrate and Pb(II) levels. Metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene was done to understand the detoxification mechanisms utilised by the microbial community in Pb(II) removal. The system demonstrated high robustness, achieving up to 99% Pb(II) removal efficiency with sufficient nutrient availability, particularly at 15 g/L yeast extract (YE), compared to lower nutrient levels of 5 g/L YE. Denitrification was identified as the dominant mechanism of detoxification, supported by additional processes such as biosorption, sulfur-reducing bacterial activity, bioprecipitation, and bioremoval. Analysis of the precipitate recovered from the reactor indicated the presence of elemental lead, PbS, and PbO, highlighting the potential for lead recovery. These findings suggest that the system not only effectively removes Pb(II) from contaminated environments but also offers a sustainable pathway for lead recovery through smelting, making it a promising circular bioremediation strategy. The results indicate that this biological approach is a viable solution for lead pollution and recovery in industrial applications.

Keywords: biosorption; denitrification; lead bioremediation; lead recovery; UASB reactor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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