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Author Ilgrande, C.; Christiaens, M.; Clauwaert, P.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Boon, N. openurl 
  Title Can nitrification bring us to Mars? The role of microbial interactions on nitrogen recovery in Life Support Systems Type A2 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 81 Issue 1 Pages 74-79  
  Keywords A2 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract The development cost-effective life support technologies is a highly relevant topic for space biology. Currently, food and water supply during space flights is currently restricted by technical and economic constraints: daily water consumption of an average crew of 6 members is about 72 L, with an estimated cost of 2,160,000 d-1. To reduce these costs and sustain long term space missions, the European Space Agency designed MELiSSA, an artificial ecosystem based on 5 compartments for the recycling gas, liquid and solid waste (Lasseur et al., 2011). In the CI stage, crew and inedible solid waste is fermented by thermophilic anaerobic bacteria, producing volatile fatty acids (VFAs), CO2 and ammonium (NH4+). In the CII compartment the VFAs are converted into edible biomass, using the photoheterotroph Rodospirillum rubrum. Afterwards, the nitrifying CIII unit converts toxic levels of ammonia/ammonium into nitrate, which enables the effluent to be fed to the photoautotrohopic CIV stage, that provides food and oxygen for the crew (Godia et al., 2002). The highest nitrogen flux in a Life Support System is human urine. As nitrate is the preferred form of nitrogen fertilizer for hydroponic plant cultivation, urine nitrification is an essential process in the MELiSSA loop. The development of the Additional Unit for Water Treatment or Urine NItrification ConsortiUM (UNICUM) requires the selection and characterization of the microorganisms that will be used. The key microorganisms in the biological treatment of urine are heterotrophs, for the hydrolysis of urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide, Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB), for the ammonia oxidation into nitrite and Nitrite Oxidizing Bacteria (NOB), for the conversion of nitrite into nitrate. The strains were selected according to predefined safety (non sporogenic and BSL 1) and metabolic (Ks, μmax) criteria. To evaluate functional consortia for space applications, ureolysis, nitritation and nitratation of the selected microorganisms and synthetic communities were elucidated. Additionally, urine is a matrix with a high salt content. Unhydrolised urine's EC ranges from 1.1 to 33.9 mS/cm, the mean value being 21.5 mS/cm (Marickar, 2010), while hydrolysed urine can reach higher levels, up to 75 mS/cm. This conditions could inhibit microbial metabolism, therefore the effect of salinity on urine nitrification was also elucidated.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1379-1176 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:151151 Serial 7573  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Grunert, O.; Robles Aguilar, A.A.; Hernandez-Sanabria, E.; Reheul, D.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Boon, N.; Jablonowski, N.D. openurl 
  Title Fertilizer type influences dynamics of the microbial community structure in the rhizosphere of tomato and impact the nutrient turnover and plant performance Type A2 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 81 Issue 1 Pages 67-73  
  Keywords A2 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOB and AOA) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are the most important organisms responsible for ammonia and nitrite oxidation in agricultural ecosystems and growing media. Ammonia and nitrite oxidation are critical steps in the soil nitrogen cycle and can be affected by the application of mineral fertilizers or organic fertilizers. The functionality of the microbial community has a major impact on the nutrient turnover and will finally influence plant performance. The microbial community associated with the growing medium and its functionality will also be influenced by the rhizosphere and the bulk soil. In our study, we used a tomato plant with a high root exudation capacity in order to stimulate microbial activity. We studied plant performance in rhizotrons (a phentotyping system for imaging roots), including an optical method (planar optodes) for non-invasive, quantitative and high-resolution imaging of pH dynamics in the rhizosphere and adjacent medium. The horticultural growing medium was supplemented with organic-derived nitrogen or ammonium derived from struvite. The possible differences in the root structure between treatments is compared with the total root length. Destructive growing medium sampling and high throughput sequencing analysis of the bacterial abundance of the communities present in the rhizosphere and the bulk soil is used to study the growing medium-associated microbial community structure and functionality, and this will be related to pH changes in the rhizosphere and the bulk soil. Our hypothesis is that the growing medium-associated microbial community structure changes depending on the nitrogen form provided and we expect a higher abundance of bacteria in the treatment with organic fertilizer and a higher abundance of AOB and NOB in the rhizosphere in comparison to the bulk soil.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1379-1176 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:151149 Serial 7964  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Muys, M.; Derese, S.; Verliefde, A.; Vlaeminck, S.E. openurl 
  Title Solubilization of struvite as a sustainable nutrient source for single cell protein production Type A2 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 81 Issue 1 Pages 179-184  
  Keywords A2 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract By 2050, the world population will have considerably expanded and the life standard of many will increase, yielding a 50% higher demand in protein (FAO, 2011), and even increases of 82 and 102% for diary and meat products, respectively (Boland et al., 2013). To provide in this increasing demand we are highly dependent on our classical fertilizer to food chain which has a high environmental impact and lacks efficiency. Nutrient losses cause eutrophication and biodiversity loss and the input of resources is already beyond the boundaries of environmental sustainability (Steffen et al., 2015). Phosphate fertilizers are made from phosphate rock (apatite), of which the reserves are predicted to be depleted within 50 100 years if we continue business as usual (Cordell et al., 2009). Next to problems related to the unbalanced geopolitical distribution with dominance in China and Morocco, the decreasing quality of the remaining apatite will result in an increasing environmental impact of fertilizer production. Finally, our traditional food production model requires 30% of all ice-free land, 70% of all available freshwater and produces up to one third of the global greenhouse gas emission, of which 80 to 86% is linked to agricultural production (Vermeulen et al., 2012). To ensure food security, nutrient recovery from waste streams can provide an important strategy. In this context, struvite ( ) crystallisation may be applied to recover phosphorus, along with some nitrogen. Reusing these nutrients as agricultural fertilizer on the field will lead to considerable losses to the environment. In contrast, their use to cultivate micro-organisms, e.g. for single cell protein (SCP), offers to potential of a near perfect conversion efficiency (Moed et al., 2015). At this moment, microalgae represent the most developed type of SCP, and are a promising protein source due to their growth rate, high nutritional quality and extremely high nutrient usage efficiency (Becker, 2007). Reliable solubilisation data are essential to design a technological strategy for struvite dosage in bioreactors for SCP production. The effect on solubility and solubilisation rate of relevant physicochemical parameters was studied experimentally in aqueous solutions. Because pH and temperature greatly affect solubilisation kinetics they were set at a constant value of 7 and 20°C respectively. The effect of some parameters on struvite solubility was already studied (Bhuiyan et al., 2007; Ariyanto et al., 2014; Roncal-Herrero and Oelkers, 2011), but solubilisation rates were not yet considered and pH was not controlled at a constant value. The chemical parameters considered in this study include the concentration of different common ions ( and ), foreign ions ( and the chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA) present in micro-algal cultivation media as well as ionic strength (as set by NaCl). The main physical parameter included was contact surface, through variation in initial particle size and as well as in struvite dosage concentration.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1379-1176 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:151150 Serial 8550  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Sui, Y.; Vlaeminck, S.E. openurl 
  Title Exploring Dunaliella salina as single cell protein (SCP) : the influence of light/dark regime on the growth and protein synthesis Type A2 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Communications in agricultural and applied biological sciences Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 82 Issue 1 Pages 6-11  
  Keywords A2 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Single cell protein (SCP), or originally named microbial protein, is the edible microbial biomass derived from e.g. microalgae, bacteria and fungi, which can be used as protein sources replacing conventional protein sources for animal feed or human food such as fishmeal and soybean (Anupama & Ravindra 2000). SCP presents great potential as protein supplement to alleviate the problem of food scarcity in the future (Nasseri et al. 2011). In general, microalgae as SCP contains above 50% protein over dry weight and specifically for the marine microalgae Dunaliella salina the amount stays around 57% (Becker 2007). Commercially the most common system for Dunaliella sp. production is the outdoor open pond, thus the microalgal cells are subjected to a natural light/dark cycle (Hosseini Tafreshi & Shariati 2009). Being photo-autotrophic microorganisms, the lack of light energy sources is a risk leading to night biomass loss (Ogbonna & Tanaka 1996). On the other hand, for some microalgae species cell division occurs primarily during the night suggesting its night protein synthesis (Cuhel et al. 1984). As a consequence, day and night metabolisms of microalgae introduced by light/dark cycles potentially will have big impacts on the biomass development, both in growth and biochemical composition. In this study, the effect of the light/dark cycle on the growth and protein synthesis of Dunaliella salina was explored in comparison with continuous light cultivation.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1379-1176 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:151148 Serial 7950  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Clauwaert, P.; Muys, M.; Alloul, A.; De Paepe, J.; Luther, A.; Sun, X.; Ilgrande, C.; Christiaens, M.E.R.; Hu, X.; Zhang, D.; Lindeboom, R.E.F.; Sas, B.; Rabaey, K.; Boon, N.; Ronsse, F.; Geelen, D.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Nitrogen cycling in bioregenerative life support systems : challenges for waste refinery and food production processes Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Progress in aerospace sciences Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 91 Issue Pages 87-98  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract In order to sustain human life in an isolated environment, an efficient conversion of wasted nutrients to food might become mandatory. This is particularly the case for space missions where resupply from earth or in-situ resource utilization is not possible or desirable. A combination of different technologies is needed to allow full recycling of e.g. nitrogenous compounds in space. In this review, an overview is given of the different essential processes and technologies that enable closure of the nitrogen cycle in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS). Firstly, a set of biological and physicochemical refinery stages ensures efficient conversion of waste products into the building blocks, followed by the production of food with a range of biological methods. For each technology, bottlenecks are identified. Furthermore, challenges and outlooks are presented at the integrated system level. Space adaptation and integration deserve key attention to enable the recovery of nitrogen for the production of nutritional food in space, but also in closed loop systems on earth.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000404699800005 Publication Date 2017-05-04  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0376-0421; 1873-1724 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:148996 Serial 8310  
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Author Sakarika, M.; Spiller, M.; Baetens, R.; Donies, G.; Vanderstuyf, J.; Vinck, K.; Vrancken, K.C.; Van Barel, G.; Du Bois, E.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Proof of concept of high-rate decentralized pre-composting of kitchen waste : optimizing design and operation of a novel drum reactor Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Waste management Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 91 Issue Pages 20-32  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Product development  
  Abstract Each ton of organic household waste that is collected, transported and composted incurs costs (€75/ton gate fee). Reducing the mass and volume of kitchen waste (

KW) at the point of collection can diminish transport requirements and associated costs, while also leading to an overall reduction in gate fees for final processing. To this end, the objective of this research was to deliver a proof of concept for the so-called “urban pre-composter”; a bioreactor for the decentralized, high-rate pre-treatment of KW, that aims at mass and volume reduction at the point of collection. Results show considerable reductions in mass (33%), volume (62%) and organic solids (32%) of real KW, while provision of structure material and separate collection of leachate was found to be unnecessary. The temperature profile, C/N ratio (12) and VS/TS ratio (0.69) indicated that a mature compost can be produced in 68  days (after pre-composting and main composting). An economic Monte Carlo simulation yielded that the urban pre-composter concept is not more expensive than the current approach, provided its cost per unit is €8,000–€14,500 over a 10-year period (OPEX and CAPEX, in 80% of the cases). The urban pre-composter is therefore a promising system for the efficient pre-treatment of organic household waste in an urban context.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000473378700003 Publication Date 2019-04-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0956-053x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:159579 Serial 8426  
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Author Courtens, E.N.P.; Vandekerckhove, T.; Prat, D.; Vilchez-Vargas, R.; Vital, M.; Pieper, D.H.; Meerbergen, K.; Lievens, B.; Boon, N.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Empowering a mesophilic inoculum for thermophilic nitrification : growth mode and temperature pattern as critical proliferation factors for archaeal ammonia oxidizers Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 92 Issue Pages 94-103  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Cost-efficient biological treatment of warm nitrogenous wastewaters requires the development of thermophilic nitrogen removal processes. Only one thermophilic nitrifying bioreactor was described so far, achieving 200 mg N L-1 d-1 after more than 300 days of enrichment from compost samples. From the practical point of view in which existing plants would be upgraded, however, a more time-efficient development strategy based on mesophilic nitrifying sludge is preferred. This study evaluated the adaptive capacities of mesophilic nitrifying sludge for two linear temperature increase patterns (non-oscillating vs. oscillating), two different slopes (0.25 vs. 0.08 °C d-1) and two different reactor types (floc vs. biofilm growth). The oscillating temperature pattern (0.25 °C d-1) and the moving bed biofilm reactor (0.08 °C d-1) could not reach nitrification at temperatures higher than 46°C. However, nitrification rates up to 800 mg N L-1 d-1 and 150 mg N g-1 volatile suspended solids d-1 were achieved at a temperature as high as 49°C by imposing the slowest linear temperature increase to floccular sludge. Microbial community analysis revealed that this successful transition was related with a shift in ammonium oxidizing archaea dominating ammonia oxidizing bacteria, while for nitrite oxidation Nitrospira spp. was constantly more abundant than Nitrobacter spp.. This observation was accompanied with an increase in observed sludge yield and a shift in maximal optimum temperature, determined with ex-situ temperature sensitivity measurements, predicting an upcoming reactor failure at higher temperature. Overall, this study achieved nitrification at 49°C within 150 days by gradual adaptation of mesophilic sludge, and showed that ex-situ temperature sensitivity screening can be used to monitor and steer the transition process.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000371555200011 Publication Date 2016-01-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:130444 Serial 7900  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Ngo, K.N.; Tampon, P.; Van Winckel, T.; Massoudieh, A.; Sturm, B.; Bott, C.; Wett, B.; Murthy, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; DeBarbadillo, C.; De Clippeleir, H. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Introducing bioflocculation boundaries in process control to enhance effluent quality of high‐rate contact‐stabilization systems Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Water environment research Abbreviated Journal Water Environ Res  
  Volume (up) 94 Issue 8 Pages e10772-17  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract High-rate activated sludge (HRAS) systems suffer from high variability of effluent quality, clarifier performance, and carbon capture. This study proposed a novel control approach using bioflocculation boundaries for wasting control strategy to enhance effluent quality and stability while still meeting carbon capture goals. The bioflocculation boundaries were developed based on the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) ratio between contactor and stabilizer (feast/famine) in a high-rate contact stabilization (CS) system and this OUR ratio was used to manipulate the wasting setpoint. Increased oxidation of carbon or decreased wasting was applied when OUR ratio was <0.52 or >0.95 to overcome bioflocculation limitation and maintain effluent quality. When no bioflocculation limitations (OUR ratio within 0.52–0.95) were detected, carbon capture was maximized. The proposed control concept was shown for a fully automated OUR-based control system as well as for a simplified version based on direct waste flow control. For both cases, significant improvements in effluent suspended solids level and stability (<50-mg TSS/L), solids capture over the clarifier (>90%), and COD capture (median of 32%) were achieved. This study shows how one can overcome the process instability of current HRAS systems and provide a path to achieve more reliable outcomes.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000840360100001 Publication Date 2022-07-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1061-4303; 1554-7531 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.1 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.1  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189409 Serial 7174  
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Author Sui, Y.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Effects of salinity, pH and growth phase on the protein productivity by Dunaliella salina Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 94 Issue 4 Pages 1032-1040  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract BACKGROUND Microalgae have long been adopted for use as human food, animal feed and high‐value products. For carotenogenesis, Dunaliella salina is one of the most studied microalgae, yet its protein synthesis has been limitedly reported. In this study, D. salina was cultivated at different NaCl and pH levels to optimize its protein productivity. RESULTS The biomass protein content followed an increasedecrease pattern throughout the growth phases, with a maximum in the exponential phase (6080% over ash‐free dry weight). Adversely, the biomass pigment contents were at relatively stable levels (around 0.5% carotenoids, 1.3% chlorophyll a and 0.5% chlorophyll b over ash‐free dry weight). Among the tested conditions (13 mol L−1 salinity, pH 7.59.5), the highest protein productivity (43.5 mg L−1 day−1) was achieved at 2 mol L−1 salinity and pH 7.5 during the exponential phase, which surpassed others by 1697%. Additionally, table salts were tested to be equivalent and cost‐efficient salt sources for the growth medium. CONCLUSION This study highlighted the suitability of D. salina as a protein source, providing guidelines for 70% cheaper medium formulation in the lab and for maximum protein productivity at larger scale.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000461237300004 Publication Date 2018-10-16  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0268-2575; 1097-4660 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:157955 Serial 7849  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Zhang, Q.; De Clippeleir, H.; Su, C.; Al-Omari, A.; Wett, B.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Murthy, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Deammonification for digester supernatant pretreated with thermal hydrolysis : overcoming inhibition through process optimization Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Applied microbiology and biotechnology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 100 Issue 12 Pages 5595-5606  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract The thermal hydrolysis process (THP) has been proven to be an excellent pretreatment step for an anaerobic digester (AD), increasing biogas yield and decreasing sludge disposal. The goal of this work was to optimize deammonification for efficient nitrogen removal despite the inhibition effects caused by the organics present in the THP-AD sludge filtrate (digestate). Two sequencing batch reactors were studied treating conventional digestate and THP-AD digestate, respectively. Improved process control based on higher dissolved oxygen set-point (1 mg O-2/L) and longer aeration times could achieve successful treatment of THP-AD digestate. This increased set-point could overcome the inhibition effect on aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AerAOB), potentially caused by particulate and colloidal organics. Moreover, based on the mass balance, anoxic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) contribution to the total nitrogen removal decreased from 97 +/- A 1 % for conventional to 72 +/- A 5 % for THP-AD digestate treatment, but remained stable by selective AnAOB retention using a vibrating screen. Overall, similar total nitrogen removal rates of 520 +/- A 28 mg N/L/day at a loading rate of 600 mg N/L/day were achieved in the THP-AD reactor compared to the conventional digestate treatment operating at low dissolved oxygen (DO) (0.38 +/- A 0.10 mg O-2/L).  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000376456700033 Publication Date 2016-02-19  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0175-7598; 1432-0614 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:134166 Serial 7755  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Meerburg, F.A.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Roume, H.; Seuntjens, D.; Pieper, D.H.; Jauregui, R.; Vilchez-Vargas, R.; Boon, N. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title High-rate activated sludge communities have a distinctly different structure compared to low-rate sludge communities, and are less sensitive towards environmental and operational variables Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 100 Issue Pages 137-145  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract High-rate activated sludge processes allow for the recovery of organics and energy from wastewaters. These systems are operated at a short sludge retention time and high sludge-specific loading rates, which results in a higher sludge yield and better digestibility than conventional, low-rate activated sludge. Little is known about the microbial ecology of high-rate systems. In this work, we address the need for a fundamental understanding of how high-rate microbial communities differ from low-rate communities. We investigated the high-rate and low-rate communities in a sewage treatment plant in relation to environmental and operational variables over a period of ten months. We demonstrated that (1) high-rate and low-rate communities are distinctly different in terms of richness, evenness and composition, (2) high-rate community dynamics are more variable and less shaped by deterministic factors compared to low-rate communities, (3) sub-communities of continuously core and transitional members are more shaped by deterministic factors than the continuously rare members, both in high-rate and low-rate communities, and (4) high-rate community members showed a co-occurrence pattern similar to that of low-rate community members, but were less likely to be correlated to environmental and operational variables. These findings provide a basis for further optimization of high-rate systems, in order to facilitate resource recovery from wastewater.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000378448800014 Publication Date 2016-05-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:139914 Serial 8035  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Coppens, J.; Meers, E.; Boon, N.; Buysse, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Follow the N and P road : high-resolution nutrient flow analysis of the Flanders region as precursor for sustainable resource management Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 115 Issue Pages 9-21  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Resource-efficient nutrient management is key to secure food production in the context of a growing global population, rising resource scarcity and increasing pressure on the environment. To map the potential towards increasing nutrient use efficiencies and reduce environmental losses, a high-resolution insight of the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrient streams is pivotal. In this study, a substance flow analysis for N and P is presented for the nutrient intensive region of Flanders (6,211,065 inhabitants) in Belgium for the year 2009. A set of 160 nutrient fluxes was quantified throughout 21 economic and environmental compartments, with a particular focus on 10 waste management processes. A total nutrient load of 20 kg N cap(-1) yr(-1) (ca. 73% to the air and 28% to surface waters) and 0.53 kg P cap(-1) yr(-1) (to surface waters) is emitted to the environment; with crop and livestock production as the main contributors (49% of N and 36% of P). The food supply chain revealed a fertilizer-to-consumer efficiency of 14% for N as well as for P, with important losses embedded in waste streams such as excess manure. Advanced manure and waste processing facilities nevertheless offer the opportunity for enhanced nutrient recycling to increase the nutrient use efficiencies and reduce the dependency of inorganic fertilizers. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000384852500002 Publication Date 2016-08-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:137229 Serial 7977  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Peng, L.; Carvajal-Arroyo, J.M.; Seuntjens, D.; Prat, D.; Colica, G.; Pintucci, C.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Smart operation of nitritation/denitritation virtually abolishes nitrous oxide emission during treatment of co-digested pig slurry centrate Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 127 Issue Pages 1-10  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract The implementation of nitritation/denitritation (Nit/DNit) as alternative to nitrification/denitrification (N/DN) is driven by operational cost savings, e.g. 1.0-1.8 EUR/ton slurry treated. However, as for any biological nitrogen removal process, Nit/DNit can emit the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). Challenges remain in understanding formation mechanisms and in mitigating the emissions, particularly at a low ratio of organic carbon consumption to nitrogen removal (CODrem/N-rem). In this study, the centrate (centrifuge supernatant) from anaerobic co-digestion of pig slurry was treated in a sequencing batch reactor. The process removed approximately 100% of ammonium a satisfactory nitrogen loading rate (0.4 g N/L/d), with minimum nitrite and nitrate in the effluent. Substantial N2O emission (around 17% of the ammonium nitrogen loading) was observed at the baseline operational condition (dissolved oxygen, DO, levels averaged at 0.85 mg O-2/L; CODrem/N-rem of 2.8) with similar to 68% of the total emission contributed by nitritation. Emissions increased with higher nitrite accumulation and lower organic carbon to nitrogen ratio. Yet, higher DO levels (similar to 2.2 mg O-2/L) lowered the aerobic N2O emission and weakened the dependency on nitrite concentration, suggesting a shift in N2O production pathway. The most effective N2O mitigation strategy combined intermittent patterns of aeration, anoxic feeding and anoxic carbon dosage, decreasing emission by over 99% (down to similar to 0.12% of the ammonium nitrogen loading). Without anaerobic digestion, mitigated Nit/DNit decreases the operational carbon footprint with about 80% compared to N/DN. With anaerobic digestion included, about 4 times more carbon is sequestered. In conclusion, the low CODrem/N-rem feature of Nit/DNit no longer offsets its environmental sustainability provided the process is smartly operated. (c) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000418219000001 Publication Date 2017-09-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:148521 Serial 8548  
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Author Broos, W.; Wittner, N.; Dries, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Gunde-Cimerman, N.; Cornet, I. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Rhodotorula kratochvilovae outperforms Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum in the valorisation of lignocellulosic wastewater to microbial oil Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2024 Publication Process biochemistry (1991) Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 137 Issue Pages 229-238  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE)  
  Abstract Rhodotorula kratochvilovae has shown to be a promising species for microbial oil production from lignin-derived compounds. Yet, information on R. kratochvilovae’s detoxification and microbial oil production is scarce. This study investigated the growth and microbial oil production on the phenolic-containing effluent from poplar steam explosion and its detoxification with five R. kratochvilovae strains (EXF11626, EXF9590, EXF7516, EXF3697, EXF3471) and compared them with Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum. The R. kratochvilovae strains reached a maximum growth rate up to four times higher than C. oleaginosum. Furthermore, all R. kratochvilovae strains generally degraded phenolics more rapidly and to a larger extent than C. oleaginosum. However, the diluted substrate limited the lipid production by all strains as the maximum lipid content and titre were 10.5% CDW and 0.40 g/L, respectively. Therefore, future work should focus on increasing lipid production by using advanced fermentation strategies and stimulating the enzyme excretion by the yeasts for complex substrate breakdown.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-01-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1359-5113 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor 4.4 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.4; 2024 IF: 2.497  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202365 Serial 9087  
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Author Seuntjens, D.; Han, M.; Kerckhof, F.-M.; Boon, N.; Al-Omari, A.; Takacs, I.; Meerburg, F.; De Mulder, C.; Wett, B.; Bott, C.; Murthy, S.; Carvajal Arroyo, J.M.; De Clippeleir, H.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Pinpointing wastewater and process parameters controlling the AOB to NOB activity ratio in sewage treatment plants Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 138 Issue Pages 37-46  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Even though nitrification/denitrification is a robust technology to remove nitrogen from sewage, economic incentives drive its future replacement by shortcut nitrogen removal processes. The latter necessitates high potential activity ratios of ammonia oxidizing to nitrite oxidizing bacteria (rAOB/rNOB). The goal of this study was to identify which wastewater and process parameters can govern this in reality. Two sewage treatment plants (STP) were chosen based on their inverse rAOB/rNOB values (at 20 °C): 0.6 for Blue Plains (BP, Washington DC, US) and 1.6 for Nieuwveer (NV, Breda, NL). Disproportional and dissimilar relationships between AOB or NOB relative abundances and respective activities pointed towards differences in community and growth/activity limiting parameters. The AOB communities showed to be particularly different. Temperature had no discriminatory effect on the nitrifiers' activities, with similar Arrhenius temperature dependences (ΘAOB = 1.10, ΘNOB = 1.061.07). To uncouple the temperature effect from potential limitations like inorganic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen, an add-on mechanistic methodology based on kinetic modelling was developed. Results suggest that BP's AOB activity was limited by the concentration of inorganic carbon (not by residual N and P), while NOB experienced less limitation from this. For NV, the sludge-specific nitrogen loading rate seemed to be the most prevalent factor limiting AOB and NOB activities. Altogether, this study shows that bottom-up mechanistic modelling can identify parameters that influence the nitrification performance. Increasing inorganic carbon in BP could invert its rAOB/rNOB value, facilitating its transition to shortcut nitrogen removal.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000431747300005 Publication Date 2017-11-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:149976 Serial 8385  
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Author Zhang, Q.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; DeBarbadillo, C.; Su, C.; Al-Omari, A.; Wett, B.; Pümpel, T.; Shaw, A.; Chandran, K.; Murthy, S.; De Clippeleir, H. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Supernatant organics from anaerobic digestion after thermal hydrolysis cause direct and/or diffusional activity loss for nitritation and anammox Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 143 Issue Pages 270-281  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Treatment of sewage sludge with a thermal hydrolysis process (THP) followed by anaerobic digestion (AD) enables to boost biogas production and minimize residual sludge volumes. However, the reject water can cause inhibition to aerobic and anoxic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AerAOB & AnAOB), the two key microbial groups involved in the deammonification process. Firstly, a detailed investigation elucidated the impact of different organic fractions present in THP-AD return liquor on AerAOB and AnAOB activity. For AnAOB, soluble compounds linked to THP conditions and AD performance caused the main inhibition. Direct inhibition by dissolved organics was also observed for AerAOB, but could be overcome by treating the filtrate with extended aerobic or anaerobic incubation or with activated carbon. AerAOB additionally suffered from particulate and colloidal organics limiting the diffusion of substrates. This was resolved by improving the dewatering process through an optimized flocculant polymer dose and/or addition of coagulant polymer to better capture the large colloidal fraction, especially in case of unstable AD performance. Secondly, a new inhibition model for AerAOB included diffusion-limiting compounds based on the porter-equation, and achieved the best fit with the experimental data, highlighting that AerAOB were highly sensitive to large colloids. Overall, this paper for the first time provides separate identification of organic fractions within THP-AD filtrate causing differential types of inhibition. Moreover, it highlights the combined effect of the performance of THP, AD and dewatering on the downstream autotrophic nitrogen removal kinetics. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000443664000027 Publication Date 2018-06-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:152911 Serial 8623  
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Author Seuntjens, D.; Carvajal-Arroyo, J.M.; Ruopp, M.; Bunse, P.; De Mulder, C.P.; Lochmatter, S.; Agrawal, S.; Boon, N.; Lackner, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title High-resolution mapping and modeling of anammox recovery from recurrent oxygen exposure Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 144 Issue Pages 522-531  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Oxygen inhibits anammox, a bioconversion executed by anoxic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB). Nonetheless, oxygen is mostly found in the proximity of AnAOB in nitrogen removal applications, being a substrate for nitritation. The experiments performed to date were mostly limited to batch activity tests where AnAOB activity is estimated during oxygen exposure. However, little attention has been paid to the recovery and reversibility of activity following aerobic conditions, of direct relevance for bioreactor operation. In this work, anoxic and autotrophic reactor cultivation at 20 degrees C yielded an enriched microbial community in AnAOB, consisting for 75% of a member of the genus Brocadia. High-resolution kinetic data were obtained with online ammonium measurements and further processed with a newly developed Python data pipeline. The experimentally obtained AnAOB response showed complete inhibition until micro-aerobic conditions were reached again (<0.02 mg O-2 L-1). After oxygen inhibition, AnAOB recovered gradually, with recovery times of 5-37 h to reach a steady-state activity, dependent on the perceived inhibition. The recovery immediately after inhibition was lowest when exposed to higher oxygen concentrations (range: 0.5-8 mg O-2 L-1) with long contact times (range: 9-24 h). The experimental data did not fit well with a conventional 'instant recovery' Monod-type inhibition model. Yet, the fit greatly improved by incorporating a dynamic growth rate formula accurately describing gradual activity recovery. With the upgraded model, long-term kinetic simulations for partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) with intermittent aeration showed a decrease in growth rate compared to the instant recovery mode. These results indicate that recovery of AnAOB after oxygen exposure was previously overlooked. It is recommended to account for this effect in the intensification of partial nitritation/anammox. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000447569300051 Publication Date 2018-07-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:152910 Serial 8037  
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Author De Paepe, J.; Lindeboom, R.E.F.; Vanoppen, M.; De Paepe, K.; Demey, D.; Coessens, W.; Lamaze, B.; Verliefde, A.R.D.; Clauwaert, P.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Refinery and concentration of nutrients from urine with electrodialysis enabled by upstream precipitation and nitrification Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 144 Issue Pages 76-86  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Human urine is a valuable resource for nutrient recovery, given its high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but the compositional complexity of urine presents a challenge for an energy-efficient concentration and refinery of nutrients. In this study, a pilot installation combining precipitation, nitrification and electrodialysis (ED), designed for one person equivalent (1.2 L-urine d(-l)), was continuously operated for similar to 7 months. First, NaOH addition yielded calcium and magnesium precipitation, preventing scaling in ED. Second, a moving bed biofilm reactor oxidized organics, preventing downstream biofouling, and yielded complete nitrification on diluted urine (20-40%, i.e. dilution factors 5 and 2.5) at an average loading rate of 215 mg N L-1 d(-1). Batch tests demonstrated the halotolerance of the nitrifying community, with nitrification rates not affected up to an electrical conductivity of 40 mS cm(-1) and gradually decreasing, yet ongoing, activity up to 96 mS cm(-1) at 18% of the maximum rate. Next-generation 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that switching from a synthetic influent to real urine induced a profound shift in microbial community and that the AOB community was dominated by halophilic species closely related to Nitrosomonas aestuarii and Nitrosomonas marina. Third, nitrate, phosphate and potassium in the filtered (0.1 mu m) bioreactor effluent were concentrated by factors 43, 2.6 and 4.6, respectively, with ED. Doubling the urine concentration from 20% to 40% further increased the ED recovery efficiency by similar to 10%. Batch experiments at pH 6, 7 and 8 indicated a more efficient phosphate transport to the concentrate at pH 7. The newly proposed three-stage strategy opens up opportunities for energy- and chemical-efficient nutrient recovery from urine. Precipitation and nitrification enabled the long-term continuous operation of ED on fresh urine requiring minimal maintenance, which has, to the best of our knowledge, never been achieved before. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000447569300008 Publication Date 2018-07-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:152907 Serial 8468  
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Author Sfez, S.; De Meester, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Dewulf, J. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Improving the resource footprint evaluation of products recovered from wastewater : a discussion on appropriate allocation in the context of circular economy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 148 Issue Pages 132-144  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Shifting from a linear to a circular economy has consequences on how the sustainability of products is assessed. This is the case for products recovered from resources such as sewage sludge. The “zero-burden” assumption is commonly used in Life Cycle Assessment and considers that waste streams are burden-free, which becomes debatable when comparing waste-based with virgin material-based products in the context of the growing circular economy. If waste streams are considered as resources rather than waste, upstream burdens should be partly allocated to all products to allow a fair comparison with their virgin material-based equivalents. In this paper, five allocation approaches are applied to allocate the resource use of upstream processes (consumer goods production) to products recovered from the processing of sewage sludge in the Netherlands, which produces biogas, (phosphorus-based) chemicals and building materials. Except for the approach which allocates 100% of the impact from resource recovery processes to the preceding consumer goods, the allocation approaches show a resource use 27 to 80% higher than with the “zero-burden” assumption. In this particular case, using these allocation approaches is likely to find little support from recyclers. The producers of household products, recyclers and policy makers should find a consensus to consider the shift from a linear to a circular economy in sustainability assessment studies while avoiding discouraging the implementation of recovery technologies. This paper suggests starting the discussion with the approach which allocates the impacts from upstream processes degressively to the downstream products as it best translates the industrial ecology principles.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000472242800012 Publication Date 2019-05-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:159887 Serial 8072  
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Author Alloul, A.; Wuyts, S.; Lebeer, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Volatile fatty acids impacting phototrophic growth kinetics of purple bacteria : paving the way for protein production on fermented wastewater Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 152 Issue Pages 138-147  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Nutrient losses in our food chain severely surpass our planetary boundaries. Resource recovery can contribute to mitigation, for instance through converting wastewater resources to microbial protein for animal feed. Wastewater typically holds a complex mixture of organics, posing a challenge to selectively produce heterotrophic biomass. Ensuring the product's quality could be achieved by anaerobic generation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) followed by photoheterotrophic production of purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) with infrared light. This study aimed to determine the most suitable PNSB culture for VFA conversion and map the effect of acetate, propionate, butyrate and a VFA mixture on growth and biomass yield. Six cultures were screened in batch: (i) Rhodopseudomonas palustris, (ii) Rhodobacter sphaeroides, (iii) Rhodospirillum rubrum, (iv) a 3-species synthetic community (i+ii+iii), (v) a community enriched on VFA holding Rb. capsulatus, and (vi) Rb. capsulatus (isolate v). The VFA mixture elevated growth rates with a factor 1.32.5 compared to individual VFA. Rb. capsulatus showed the highest growth rates: 1.82.2 d−1 (enriched) and 2.33.8 d−1 (isolated). In a photobioreactor (PBR) inoculated with the Rb. capsulatus enrichment, decreasing sludge retention time (SRT) yielded lower biomass concentrations, yet increased productivities, reaching 1.7 g dry weight (DW) L−1 d−1, the highest phototrophic rate reported thus far, and a growth rate of up to 5 d−1. PNSB represented 2657% of the community and the diversity index was low (37), with a dominance of Rhodopseudomonas at long SRT and Rhodobacter at short SRT. The biomass yield for all cultures, in batch and reactor cultivation, approached 1 g CODBiomass g−1 CODRemoved. An economic estimation for a two-stage approach on brewery wastewater (load 2427 kg COD d−1) showed that 0.5 d SRT allowed for the lowest production cost ( 10 kg−1 DW; equal shares for capex and opex). The findings strengthen the potential for a novel two-stage approach for resource recovery from industrial wastewater, enabling high-rate PNSB production.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000458223900013 Publication Date 2018-12-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:156462 Serial 8739  
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Author Vanderkerckhove, T.G.L.; Kerckhof, F.-M.; De Mulder, C.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Boon, N. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Determining stoichiometry and kinetics of two thermophilic nitrifying communities as a crucial step in the development of thermophilic nitrogen removal Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Water research Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 156 Issue Pages 34-45  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Nitrification and denitrification, the key biological processes for thermophilic nitrogen removal, have separately been established in bioreactors at 50 °C. A well-characterized set of kinetic parameters is essential to integrate these processes while safeguarding the autotrophs performing nitrification. Knowledge on thermophilic nitrifying kinetics is restricted to isolated or highly enriched batch cultures, which do not represent bioreactor conditions. This study characterized the stoichiometry and kinetics of two thermophilic (50 °C) nitrifying communities. The most abundant ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) were related to the Nitrososphaera genus, clustering relatively far from known species Nitrososphaera gargensis (95.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity). The most abundant nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were related to Nitrospira calida (97% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity). The nitrification biomass yield was 0.200.24 g VSS g−1 N, resulting mainly from a high AOA yield (0.160.20 g VSS g−1 N), which was reflected in a high AOA abundance in the community (5776%) compared to NOB (511%). Batch-wise determination of decay rates (AOA: 0.230.29 d−1; NOB: 0.320.43 d−1) rendered an overestimation compared to in situ estimations of overall decay rate (0.0260.078 d−1). Possibly, the inactivation rate rather than the actual decay rate was determined in batch experiments. Maximum growth rates of AOA and NOB were 0.120.15 d−1 and 0.130.33 d−1 respectively. NOB were susceptible to nitrite, opening up opportunities for shortcut nitrogen removal. However, NOB had a similar growth rate and oxygen affinity (0.150.55 mg O2 L−1) as AOA and were resilient towards free ammonia (IC50 > 16 mg NH3-N L−1). This might complicate NOB outselection using common practices to establish shortcut nitrogen removal (SRT control; aeration control; free ammonia shocks). Overall, the obtained insights can assist in integrating thermophilic conversions and facilitate single-sludge nitrification/denitrification.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000466618400004 Publication Date 2019-03-14  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:158226 Serial 7798  
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Author Spiller, M.; Muys, M.; Papini, G.; Sakarika, M.; Buyle, M.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Environmental impact of microbial protein from potato wastewater as feed ingredient : comparative consequential life cycle assessment of three production systems and soybean meal Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal Water Res  
  Volume (up) 171 Issue Pages 115406  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB)  
  Abstract Livestock production is utilizing large amounts of protein-rich feed ingredients such as soybean meal. The proven negative environmental impacts of soybean meal production incentivize the search for alternative protein sources. One promising alternative is Microbial Protein (MP), i.e. dried microbial biomass. To date, only few life cycle assessments (LCAs) for MP have been carried out, none of which has used a consequential modelling approach nor has been investigating the production of MP on food and beverage wastewater. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental impact of MP production on a food and beverage effluent as a substitute for soybean meal using a consequential modelling approach. Three different types of MP production were analysed, namely consortia containing Aerobic Heterotrophic Bacteria (AHB), Microalgae and AHB (MaB), and Purple Non-Sulfur Bacteria (PNSB). The production of MP was modelled for high-strength potato wastewater (COD = 10 kg/m3) at a flow rate of 1,000 m3/day. LCA results were compared against soybean meal production for the endpoint impact categories human health, ecosystems, and resources. Soybean meal showed up to 52% higher impact on human health and up to 87% higher impact on ecosystems than MP. However, energy-related aspects resulted in an 8–88% higher resource exploitation for MP. A comparison between the MP production systems showed that MaB performed best when considering ecosystems (between 13 and 14% better) and resource (between 71 and 80% better) impact categories, while AHB and PNSB had lower values for the impact category human health (8–12%). The sensitivity analysis suggests that the conclusions drawn are robust as in the majority of 1,000 Monte Carlo runs the initial results are confirmed. In conclusion, it is suggested that MP is an alternative protein source of comparatively low environmental impact that should play a role in the future protein transition, in particular when further process improvements can be implemented and more renewable or waste energy sources will be used.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000514748900032 Publication Date 2019-12-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.8 Times cited 10 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors would like to thank (i) the MIP i-Cleantech Flanders (Milieu innovatieplatform; Environment innovation platform) project Microbial Nutrients on Demand (MicroNOD; 150360) for financial support, (ii) the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen) for supporting Gustavo Papini with a doctoral fellowship (strategic basic research; 1S38917N), (iii) Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen) for supporting Matthias Buyle with a post-doctoral fellowship (Postdoctoral Fellow junior; 1207520N), and (iv) Bo Weidema, Abbas Alloul, Yixing Sui and Tim Van Winckel for their insightful discussions. ; Approved Most recent IF: 12.8; 2020 IF: 6.942  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:164944 Serial 6509  
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Author Vandekerckhove, T.G.L.; Props, R.; Carvajal-Arroyo, J.M.; Boon, N.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Adaptation and characterization of thermophilic anammox in bioreactors Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal Water Res  
  Volume (up) 172 Issue Pages 115462  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Anammox, the oxidation of ammonium with nitrite, is a key microbial process in the nitrogen cycle. Under mesophilic conditions (below 40 °C), it is widely implemented to remove nitrogen from wastewaters lacking organic carbon. Despite evidence of the presence of anammox bacteria in high-temperature environments, reports on the cultivation of thermophilic anammox bacteria are limited to a short-term experiment of 2 weeks. This study showcases the adaptation of a mesophilic inoculum to thermophilic conditions, and its characterization. First, an attached growth technology was chosen to obtain the process. In an anoxic fixed-bed biofilm bioreactor (FBBR), a slow linear temperature increase from 38 to over 48 °C (0.05–0.07 °C d−1) was imposed to the community over 220 days, after which the reactor was operated at 48 °C for over 200 days. Maximum total nitrogen removal rates reached up to 0.62 g N L−1 d−1. Given this promising performance, a suspended growth system was tested. The obtained enrichment culture served as inoculum for membrane bioreactors (MBR) operated at 50 °C, reaching a maximum total nitrogen removal rate of 1.7 g N L−1 d−1 after 35 days. The biomass in the MBR had a maximum specific anammox activity of 1.1 ± 0.1 g NH4+-N g−1 VSS d−1, and the growth rate was estimated at 0.075–0.19 d−1. The thermophilic cultures displayed nitrogen stoichiometry ratios typical for mesophilic anammox: 0.93–1.42 g NO2--Nremoved g−1 NH4+-Nremoved and 0.16–0.35 g NO3--Nproduced g−1 NH4+-Nremoved. Amplicon and Sanger sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes revealed a disappearance of the original “Ca. Brocadia” and “Ca. Jettenia” taxa, yielding Planctomycetes members with only 94–95% similarity to “Ca. Brocadia anammoxidans” and “Ca. B. caroliniensis”, accounting for 45% of the bacterial FBBR community. The long-term operation of thermophilic anammox reactors and snapshot views on the nitrogen stoichiometry, kinetics and microbial community open up the development path of thermophilic partial nitritation/anammox. A first economic assessment highlighted that treatment of sludge reject water from thermophilic anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge may become attractive.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000517663600014 Publication Date 2020-01-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.8 Times cited 5 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors acknowledge (i) the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT Flanders) [grant number SB-141205] for funding T.G.L.V., (ii) Ghent University (BOFDOC2015000601) and the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK.CEN) for funding R.P., (iii) Bart De Gusseme from Farys/UGent for providing the hollow fiber membranes, (iv) Tim Lacoere for performing the DNA extraction and data processing of the Sanger sequencing and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data, (v) Tim Hendrickx from Paques BV for providing the inoculum, (vi) Bert Bundervoet and Wim Groen in 't Woud from Colsen for the valuable input on the economic assessment and (vii) Joop Colsen, Stijn Van Hulle, Mark Van Loosdrecht, Erik Smolders and Leen De Gelder for their constructive discussions on this work. ; Approved Most recent IF: 12.8; 2020 IF: 6.942  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:165392 Serial 6449  
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Author Geerts, R.; Vandermoere, F.; Van Winckel, T.; Halet, D.; Joos, P.; Van Den Steen, K.; Van Meenen, E.; Blust, R.; Borregán-Ochando, E.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Bottle or tap? Toward an integrated approach to water type consumption Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal Water Res  
  Volume (up) 173 Issue Pages 115578-10  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Centre for Research on Environmental and Social Change  
  Abstract While in many countries, people have access to cheap and safe potable tap water, the global consumption of bottled water is rising. Flanders, Belgium, where this study is located, has an exceptionally high consumption of bottled water per capita. However, in the interest of resource efficiency and global environmental challenges, the consumption of tap water is preferable. To our knowledge, an integrated analysis of the main reasons why people consume tap and bottled water is absent in Flanders, Belgium. Using Flemish survey data (N = 2309), we first compared tap and bottled water consumers through bivariate correlation analysis. Subsequently, path modelling techniques were used to further investigate these correlations. Our results show that bottled water consumption in Flanders is widespread despite environmental and financial considerations. For a large part, this is caused by negative perceptions about tap water. Many consumers consider it unhealthy, unsafe and prefer the taste of bottled water. Furthermore, we found that the broader social context often inhibits the consumption of tap water. On the one hand, improper infrastructures (e.g. lead piping) can limit access to potable tap water. On the other hand, social norms exist that promote bottled water. Lastly, results suggest that the consumption of bottled water is most common among men, older people and less educated groups. We conclude that future research and policy measures will benefit from an approach that integrates all behavioural aspects associated with water type consumption. This will enable both governments and tap water companies to devise more effective policies to manage and support tap water supply networks.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000523569000012 Publication Date 2020-01-31  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.8 Times cited 2 Open Access  
  Notes ; This was supported by a grant from Water-link. ; Approved Most recent IF: 12.8; 2020 IF: 6.942  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:165873 Serial 6464  
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Author Spiller, M.; Moretti, M.; De Paepe, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Environmental and economic sustainability of the nitrogen recovery paradigm : evidence from a structured literature review Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy  
  Volume (up) 184 Issue Pages 106406-106413  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Our economy drives on reactive nitrogen (Nr); while Nr emissions to the environment surpass the planetary boundary. Increasingly, it is advocated to recover Nr contained in waste streams and to reuse it ‘directly’ in the agri-food chain. Alternatively, Nr in waste streams may be removed as N2 and refixed via the Haber-Bosch process in an ‘indirect’ reuse loop. As a systematic sustainability analysis of ‘direct’ Nr reuse and its comparison to the ‘indirect’ reuse loop is lacking, this structured review aimed to analyze literature determining the environmental and economic sustainability of Nr recovery technologies. Bibliometric records were queried from 2000 to 2020 using Boolean search strings, and manual text coding. In total, 63 studies were selected for the review. Results suggest that ‘direct’ Nr reuse using Nr recovery technologies is the preferred paradigm as the majority of studies concluded that it is sustainable or that it can be sustainable depending on technological assumptions and other scenario variables. Only 17 studies compared the ‘direct’ with the ‘indirect’ Nr reuse route, therefore a system perspective in Nr recovery sustainability assessments should be more widely adopted. Furthermore, Nr reuse should also be analyzed in the context of a ‘new Nr economy’ that relies on decentralized Nr production from renewable energy. It is also recommended that on-par technology readiness level comparisons should be carried out, making use of technology development and technology learning methodologies. Finally, by-products of Nr recovery are important to be accounted for as they are reducing the environmental burdens through avoided impacts.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000804938100001 Publication Date 2022-05-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 13.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 13.2  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:188873 Serial 7156  
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Author De Paepe, J.; De Paepe, K.; Gòdia, F.; Rabaey, K.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Clauwaert, P. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Bio-electrochemical COD removal for energy-efficient, maximum and robust nitrogen recovery from urine through membrane aerated nitrification Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal Water Res  
  Volume (up) 185 Issue Pages 116223  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Resource recovery from source-separated urine can shorten nutrient cycles on Earth and is essential in regenerative life support systems for deep-space exploration. In this study, a robust two-stage, energy-efficient, gravity-independent urine treatment system was developed to transform fresh real human urine into a stable nutrient solution. In the first stage, up to 85% of the COD was removed in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC), converting part of the energy in organic compounds (27-46%) into hydrogen gas and enabling full nitrogen recovery by preventing nitrogen losses through denitrification in the second stage. Besides COD removal, all urea was hydrolysed in the MEC, resulting in a stream rich in ammoniacal nitrogen and alkalinity, and low in COD. This stream was fed into a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) in order to convert the volatile and toxic ammoniacal nitrogen to non-volatile nitrate by nitrification. Bio-electrochemical pre-treatment allowed to recover all nitrogen as nitrate in the MABR at a bulk-phase dissolved oxygen level below 0.1 mg O2 L-1. In contrast, feeding the MABR directly with raw urine (omitting the first stage), at the same nitrogen loading rate, resulted in nitrogen loss (18%) due to denitrification. The MEC and MABR were characterised by very distinct and diverse microbial communities. While (strictly) anaerobic genera, such as Geobacter (electroactive bacteria), Thiopseudomonas, a Lentimicrobiaceae member, Alcaligenes and Proteiniphilum prevailed in the MEC, the MABR was dominated by aerobic genera, including Nitrosomonas (a known ammonium oxidiser), Moheibacter and Gordonia. The two-stage approach yielded a stable nitrate-rich, COD-low nutrient solution, suitable for plant and microalgae cultivation.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000580639800035 Publication Date 2020-07-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 12.8 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 12.8; 2020 IF: 6.942  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:170524 Serial 6461  
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Author Segura, P.C.; De Meur, Q.; Alloul, A.; Tanghe, A.; Onderwater, R.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Vande Wouwer, A.; Wattiez, R.; Dewasme, L.; Leroy, B. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Preferential photoassimilation of volatile fatty acids by purple non-sulfur bacteria : experimental kinetics and dynamic modelling Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Biochemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Biochem Eng J  
  Volume (up) 186 Issue Pages 108547-10  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) are known for their metabolic versatility and thrive as anoxygenic photoheterotrophs. In environmental engineering and resource recovery, cells would grow on mixtures of volatile fatty acids (VFA) generated by anaerobic fermentation of waste streams. In this study, we aim to better understand the behavior of Rhodospirillum rubrum, a model PNSB species, grown using multiple VFA as carbon sources. We highlighted that assimilation of individual VFA follows a sequential pattern. Based on observations in other PNSB, this seems to be specific to isocitrate lyase-lacking organisms. We hypothesized that the inhibition phenomenon could be due to the regulation of the metabolic fluxes in the substrate cycle between acetoacetyl-CoA and crotonyl-CoA. Developed macroscopic dynamic models showed a good predictive capability for substrate competition for every VFA mixture containing acetate, propionate, and/or butyrate. These novel insights provide valuable input for better design and operation of PNSB-based waste treatment solutions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000891992900005 Publication Date 2022-07-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1369-703x; 1873-295x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 3.9 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.9  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:192741 Serial 7332  
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Author Agrawal, S.; Weissbrodt, D.G.; Annavajhala, M.; Jensen, M.M.; Arroyo, J.M.C.; Wells, G.; Chandran, K.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Terada, A.; Smets, B.F.; Lackner, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Time to act–assessing variations in qPCR analyses in biological nitrogen removal with examples from partial nitritation/anammox systems Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Water Research Abbreviated Journal Water Res  
  Volume (up) 190 Issue Pages 116604  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is broadly used as the gold standard to quantify microbial community fractions in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. Benchmarking efforts to ensure the comparability of qPCR data for environmental bioprocesses are still scarce. Also, for partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) systems systematic investigations are still missing, rendering meta-analysis of reported trends and generic insights potentially precarious. We report a baseline investigation of the variability of qPCR-based analyses for microbial communities applied to PN/A systems. Round-robin testing was performed for three PN/A biomass samples in six laboratories, using the respective in-house DNA extraction and qPCR protocols. The concentration of extracted DNA was significantly different between labs, ranged between 2.7 and 328 ng mg−1 wet biomass. The variability among the qPCR abundance data of different labs was very high (1−7 log fold) but differed for different target microbial guilds. DNA extraction caused maximum variation (3–7 log fold), followed by the primers (1–3 log fold). These insights will guide environmental scientists and engineers as well as treatment plant operators in the interpretation of qPCR data.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000632807700001 Publication Date 2020-11-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0043-1354; 1879-2448 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.942 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.942  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:173838 Serial 8672  
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Author Wittner, N.; Gergely, S.; Slezsák, J.; Broos, W.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Cornet, I. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Follow-up of solid-state fungal wood pretreatment by a novel near-infrared spectroscopy-based lignin calibration model Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Journal of microbiological methods Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 208 Issue Pages 106725-106727  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE)  
  Abstract Lignin removal plays a crucial role in the efficient bioconversion of lignocellulose to fermentable sugars. As a delignification process, fungal pretreatment has gained great interest due to its environmental friendliness and low energy consumption. In our previous study, a positive linear correlation between acid-insoluble lignin degradation and the achievable enzymatic saccharification yield has been found, hereby highlighting the importance of the close follow-up of lignin degradation during the solid-state fungal pretreatment process. However, the standard quantification of lignin, which relies on the two-step acid hydrolysis of the biomass, is highly laborious and time-consuming. Vibrational spectroscopy has been proven as a fast and easy alternative; however, it has not been extensively researched on lignocellulose subjected to solid-state fungal pretreatment. Therefore, the present study examined the suitability of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) for the rapid and easy assessment of lignin content in poplar wood pretreated with Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Furthermore, the predictive power of the obtained calibration model and the recently published ATR-FTIR spectroscopy-based model were compared for the first time using the same fungus-treated wood data set. PLSR was used to correlate the NIR spectra to the acid-insoluble lignin contents (19.9%-27.1%) of pretreated wood. After normalization and second derivation, a PLSR model with a good coefficient of determination (RCV2 = 0.89) and a low root mean square error (RMSECV = 0.55%) were obtained despite the heterogeneous nature of the fungal solid-state fermentation. The performance of this PLSR model was comparably good to the one obtained by ATR-FTIR (RCV2 = 0.87) while it required more extensive spectral pre-processing. In conclusion, both methods will be highly useful for the high-throughput and user-friendly monitoring of lignin degradation in a solid-state fungal pretreatment-based biorefinery concept.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000983287400001 Publication Date 2023-04-13  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0167-7012 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 2.2 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.2; 2023 IF: 1.79  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:195814 Serial 9038  
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Author Coppens, J.; Lindeboom, R.; Muys, M.; Coessens, W.; Alloul, A.; Meerbergen, K.; Lievens, B.; Clauwaert, P.; Boon, N.; Vlaeminck, S.E. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Nitrification and microalgae cultivation for two-stage biological nutrient valorization from source separated urine Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Bioresource technology Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume (up) 211 Issue Pages 41-50  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Urine contains the majority of nutrients in urban wastewaters and is an ideal nutrient recovery target. In this study, stabilization of real undiluted urine through nitrification and subsequent microalgae cultivation were explored as strategy for biological nutrient recovery. A nitrifying inoculum screening revealed a commercial aquaculture inoculum to have the highest halotolerance. This inoculum was compared with municipal activated sludge for the start-up of two nitrification membrane bioreactors. Complete nitrification of undiluted urine was achieved in both systems at a conductivity of 75 mS cm−1 and loading rate above 450 mg N L−1 d−1. The halotolerant inoculum shortened the start-up time with 54%. Nitrite oxidizers showed faster salt adaptation and Nitrobacter spp. became the dominant nitrite oxidizers. Nitrified urine as growth medium for Arthrospira platensis demonstrated superior growth compared to untreated urine and resulted in a high protein content of 62%. This two-stage strategy is therefore a promising approach for biological nutrient recovery.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000375186700006 Publication Date 2016-03-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0960-8524 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:139913 Serial 8307  
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