Denitrification and pesticide elimination in drinking water treatment with the biodegradable polymer poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)

A combination of denitrification and pesticide sorption with the biodegradable polymer poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) was examined. The function of PCL is to act as carbon source and carrier for the bacteria and simultaneously as sorbent for the pesticide endosulfan. In a short-term examination (1 month) the addition of the pesticide endosulfan to a continuous-flow fixed-bed reactor resulted in an inhibition of biomass production without reduction of the denitrification performance. However in a long-term semi-batch reactor test (6 months) biomass production and partly denitrification rates were affected. No significant differences in microbial composition between the reactors were observed. Regardless of the type of reactor or presence of endosulfan, Acidovorax facilis was the main constituent.