PVA electrospun mats containing viable bacteria for water remediation

C. DUCA; L. GUZ; S. ESTEVEZ ARECO; J. CIMADORO; S. GOYANES; R. CANDAL

Ciudad Obregón

Simposio; 6th International Simposium on Environmental Biotechnology and Engineering; 2018

ITSON, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora

The preparation of hybrid materials that combine the mechanical and structural properties of polymer nanofibers with the functional groups presented in bacteria membranes leads to the generation of versatile and polyfunctional systems for several applications (supported biosorbents and filters1, biosynthesis by microorganisms, bacteria cryo-preservation2, among others). A new hybrid biomaterial consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers mats obtained by electrospinning with bacteria entrapped inside was developed. The viable bacteria were entrapped inside by submerging the material in PBS with Escherichia coli for 24 hs at 37 °C to allow bacterial adhesion. The aim of this work was to study the interaction between bacteria and the electrospun mats, and its possible application as a cryo-preservative support for bacteria and as a hybrid biofilter.The bacteria were found to be inside the nanofibers network holes, as observed by fluorescent microscopy. No bacteria were observed on the mats surface, as determined by FE-SEM. This hybrid membrane was able to preserve bacteria alive even after been preserved at -20 °C for one month. The present development could be used, for example, as a bioreactor, in medical applications, or as a filtering membrane for water treatment. To demonstrate its applicability as a heavy metal removal membrane, the hybrid material was successfully used to remove copper from water without releasing bacteria into the aqueous media. The present material opens the door to membranes in which different species of bacteria could be combined with electrospun mats for specific environmental applications.Keywords: Bacteria Preservation; Biofilter; Electrospinning; Metal Adsorption.1- Srivastava, N.K. and Majumder C.B. 2008. Novel biofiltration methods for the treatment of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. J Hazard Mater. 151. Pages 1-8.2- Kanmani P., Satish Kumar R., Yuvaraj N., Paari K.A., Pattukumar V., Arul V. 2011. Cryopreservation and microencapsulation of a probiotic in alginate-chitosan capsules improves survival in simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Biotechnol Bioprocess Eng. 16. Pages 1106-1114.