Iranian Journal of

Background and Objectives: Experiments were conducted to investigate the behavior of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) as a novel aerobic process for treatment of aniline synthetic wastewater as a hard biodegradable compound is commonly used in number of industrial processes. The objective of this paper is evaluation of MBBR in different conditions for treatment of aniline and determination of reaction kinetics.
Materials and Methods: In the MBBRs, different carriers are used to maximize the active biofilm surface area in the reactors. In this study, the reactor was filled with Light Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA) as carriers. Evaluation of the reactor efficiency was done at different retention time of 8, 24, 48 and 72 hours with an influent COD from 100 to 3500 mg/L (filling ratio of 50%). After obtaining removal efficiencies, effluent concentration of aniline was measured by adsorption spectrum and maladaptive municipal wastewater treatment plant sludge in batch conditions for confidence of aniline biodegradation and its adsorption to the sludge mass.
Results:The maximum obtained removal efficiencies were 91% (influent COD=2000 mg/L) after 72 hours. Biodegradation of aniline in MBBR has been also approved by NMR spectrum tests. Finally experimental data has indicated that Grau second order model and Stover-Kincannon were the best models to describe substrate loading removal rate for aniline.
Conclusion:biological treatment of aniline wastewater compared to other researchers methods.

Backgrounds and Objectives: in recent years, mobile bed biological reactors have been used progressively for municipal and industrial wastewaters treatment. Dissented experiment is a trial that significant changes will accrue for influent variables in the process, and generally used for identification of the effective factors and optimization of the process. The scope of this study was determination of the optimized conditions for the MBBR process by using of Taguchi method.
Materials and Methods: Reactor start up was done by using of the recycled activated sludge from Ahwaz wastewater treatment plant. After that and passing the acclimation period, with hydraulic residence time equal to 9 hours matched for 1000, 2000 and 3000 mg/l based on COD respectively, for optimization determination of the acclimated microbial growth, the variables change (pH, nitrogen source, chemical oxygen demand and salinity) were determined in 9 steps, and all of the results were analyzed by Qualitek -4 (w32b).
Results:In this study, organic load removal based on COD was 97% and best optimized condition for MBBR were (inf. COD=1000 mg/l, pH= 8, salinity = 5% and the Nitrogen source= NH4CL)
Conclusion: Based on our finding, we may conclude that Taguchi method is on of the appropriate procedure in determination the optimized condition for increasing removal efficiency of MBBR.

Backgrounds and Objectives: Drinking water quality after treatment and before reaching  the consumer could be affected by distribution pipes, service lines and Home devices. The structure of water coolers, a home device that are widely used in warm months of the year, could potentially affect the quality of drinking water. The aim of this study was to assess the microbial and chemical quality of water from conventional water coolers.
Materials and Methods : Water samples were collected from 29 water cooler systems at the Isfahan  university of medical sciences. 29 control samples also obtained from the nearest drinking water taps. All samples were examined for total heterotrophic bacteria and physicochemical parameters including temperature, ph, turbidity and heavy metals.
Results: All samples from the water cooler systems complied with the EPA guidelines for total heterotrophic bacteria count. There were no significant differences between the levels of heavy metals in water samples from the water cooler systems and taps. There was only a significant difference between the level of Cu in the water samples from cooler systems and taps
Conclusion: The overall results of this study indicated that the use of water cooler systems from hygienic point of view could not cause any problems for consumers

Background and Objective: The use of household water filter systems has been widely increasing in recent years because of water pollution.  In water filter systems, bacterial biofilm forms on the surface of the membranes, thereby increasing the possibility of transferring antibiotic resistance among bacteria and allowing their entry into the human body. This study analyzed the types of bacteria that grow in the membranes of water filter systems and their antibiotic resistance.

Materials and Methods: For this study, samples were collected from 80 membranes of household water filter systems. Bacteria grown on these membranes were identified using biochemical and molecular methods. Resistance against antibiotics including penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, gentamycin, cephalexin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was evaluated by disk diffusion method.

Results: The detected bacteria included Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Bacillus, Sphingomonas, Zymomonas, Aeromonas, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Drexia and Achromobacter. Majority of the isolates were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibiogram test showed that most of these bacteria exhibited multi-drug resistance (MDR). Maximum resistance was observed toward cephalexin and the least resistance was toward gentamicin.

Conclusion: The results revealed that membranes of household water filter systems were suitable environments for the growth of bacteria. In these conditions, MDR bacteria presumably could transfer antibiotic resistance genes to bacteria and microflora of the human body through water. Therefore, membranes should be designed in such a manner that not only they can remove the bacteria from water but also kill them.