Performance of a Combined Bacteria/Zeolite Permeable Barrier on the Rehabilitation of Wastewater Containing Atrazine and Heavy Metals

Several chemicals, such as pesticides and heavy metals, are frequently encountered together in environment matrices, becoming a priority concerning the prevention of their emissions, well removal from environment. In this sense, work aimed to evaluate effectiveness permeable biosorbent bio-barrier reactor (PBR) on atrazine metals (copper zinc) aqueous solutions. The was built with bacterial biofilm R. viscosum supported 13X zeolite. One aims is investigation toxic effects atrazine, copper zinc growth, assessment ability adapt repeated exposure contaminants degrade atrazine. growth not affected by concentrations bellow 7 mg/L. However, binary solutions were able inhibit bacteria for all tested (5 40 mg/L). pre-acclimation allowed an increase 50% growth. Biodegradation tests showed that 35% removed/degraded, revealing herbicide recalcitrant compound hard pure cultures. development PBR zeolite successfully performed rates 85% copper, 95% 25% showing potential sustainable low-cost technology herein proposed.