The effect of a joint clay-microorganism system to treat Ni and diethylketone solutions

The capacity of a combined system using a Streptococcus equisimilis biofilm supported in vermiculite to treat aqueous solutions polluted with diethylketone and nickel was accessed. In order to evaluate the interaction between the sorbent matrices and the two adsorbates several batch experiments were performed exposing 1) different amounts of vermiculite to Ni and diethylketone (Singular Sorbent Systems - SSS) or 2) a biofilm supported in different amounts of vermiculite to both pollutants (Binary Sorbent Systems - BSS). Fed batch pilot scale experiments were also conducted. For the SSS experiments, the removal of 3 g/L of DEK was complete for all the assays, whereas the removal of0.45 g/L of Ni ranged between 31 % and l00%. For the BSS experiments, the removal percentages of DEK and Ni decreased (77% to 97%, 23% to 97% respectively). Maximum removal percentages of 87.3% ofDEK and 57.6% of Ni were reached in the pilot scale experiments.Fundação para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Ministerio da Ciencia e Tecnologia, Portugal and co-funding by FSE (programme QREN-POPH), by the "FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013" and by the "BioEnv- Biotechnology and Bioengineering for a sustainable world", REF. NORTE-07- 0 I 24-FEDER-000048, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-0 Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER