Biofouling control potential of quorum quenching anaerobes in lab-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactors: Foulants profile and microbial dynamics

Indigenously isolated anaerobes encoding four quorum quenching (QQ) enzymes were applied in immobilized -and bioaugmented forms for their implications on membrane foulants, microbial taxa, and biofouling control. Two identical anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) with different immobilizing media, i.e. silica-alginate (AnMBR-Si) and hollow fiber-alginate (AnMBR-Hf), were sequentially operated for two conventional and three QQ based phases. The synergistic addition of QQ anaerobes in free cells and the immobilized form prolonged the membrane filtration operation by 172 +/- 29% and 284 +/- 12% in AnMBR-Si and AnMBR-Hf, respectively. Biocake with low surface coverage was prominent during QQ application compared to conventional phases. Despite the

Automated summary

In this study, anaerobic bacteria naturally isolated were used to encode four quorum quenching (QQ) enzymes, which were then applied in immobilized and bioaugmented forms to investigate their effects on membrane foulants, microbial taxa, and biofouling control. Two anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) with different immobilizing media (silica-alginate and hollow fiber-alginate) were operated in two conventional and three QQ-based phases. The addition of QQ anaerobes in both free cells and immobilized form significantly extended the membrane filtration operation time in AnMBR-Si and AnMBR-Hf. Furthermore, QQ application resulted in a biocake with lower surface coverage compared to conventional phases.