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Studies on Removing Sulfachloropyridazine from Groundwater with Microbial Bioreactors

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Abstract

Sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), an antibiotic used in aquaculture and in animal husbandry, is a common contaminant in surface and groundwaters. Two types of microbial reactors were evaluated as methods for removing SCP from flowing water. One type of reactor evaluated was a nitrogen-limiting biobarrier; the other a slow-sand-filter. Results showed that the soybean oil-fed, nitrogen-limiting biobarrier was not very effective at removing SCP from flowing water. When supplied with flowing water containing 2.4 mg l−1 SCP the nitrogen-limiting biobarrier removed ~0.6 mg l−1 SCP or about 28% of that present. SCP removal by the nitrogen-limiting biobarrier may not have been biological as abiotic removal was not ruled out. More efficient biological removal was obtained with the slow-sand-filter which reduced the SCP levels from 2.35 to 0.048 mg l−1, a removal efficiency of ~98%. High levels of nitrate nitrogen, 50 mg l−1 N, did not interfere with the removal processes of either reactor suggesting that SCP was not being degraded as a microbial nitrogen source.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Robin Montenieri and Doug Barlin for their expert technical assistance. Manufacturer and product brand names are given for the reader’s convenience and do not reflect endorsement by the US government. This article was the work of US government employees engaged in official duties and is exempt from copyright.

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  1. USDA–ARS, 2150-D Centre Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80526-8119, USA

    William J. Hunter & Dale L. Shaner

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  1. William J. Hunter
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  2. Dale L. Shaner
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Correspondence to William J. Hunter.

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Hunter, W.J., Shaner, D.L. Studies on Removing Sulfachloropyridazine from Groundwater with Microbial Bioreactors. Curr Microbiol 62, 1560–1564 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-011-9898-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-011-9898-0

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