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Dr. Spyridon Ntougias
Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12, Xanthi 67100, Greece

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Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Environmental Microbiology
0 biofouling
0 Membrane Bioreactors
0 Activated sludge microbiota
0 Fouling prevention

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biofouling
Membrane Bioreactors
Activated sludge microbiota

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Short Biography

Associate Professor Spyridon Ntougias studied chemistry (University of Athens, Greece) and received his Ph.D. from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of London, UK. He has participated in several international and national research projects (in approximately half of them as a coordinator), including EU- and IAEA-funded projects. He has participated in the editions of “Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology”, describing the genera Alkalibacterium and Halotalea. He is an associate editor of the “Frontiers in Microbiology”, “Annals of Microbiology” and “Water” journals and has served as an external project evaluator of the French National Research Agency, the Israel Science Foundation and the Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology.

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Journal article
Published: 15 July 2021 in Processes
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In this work, a sand filtration-activated carbon adsorption system was evaluated to remove the fungicide content of a biologically treated effluent. The purification process was mainly carried out in the activated carbon column, while sand filtration slightly contributed to the improvement of the pollutant parameters. The tertiary treatment system, which operated under the batch mode for 25 bed volumes, resulted in total and soluble COD removal efficiencies of 76.5 ± 1.5% and 88.2 ± 1.3%, respectively, detecting total COD concentrations below 50 mg/L in the permeate of the activated carbon column. A significant pH increase and a respective electrical conductivity (EC) decrease also occurred after activated carbon adsorption. The total and ammonium nitrogen significantly decreased, with determined concentrations of 2.44 ± 0.02 mg/L and 0.93 ± 0.19 mg/L, respectively, in the activated carbon permeate. Despite that, the initial imazalil concentration was greater than that of the fludioxonil in the biologically treated effluent (i.e., 41.26 ± 0.04 mg/L versus 7.35 ± 0.43 mg/L, respectively). The imazalil was completely removed after activated carbon adsorption, while a residual concentration of fludioxonil was detected. Activated carbon treatment significantly detoxified the biologically treated fungicide-containing effluent, increasing the germination index by 47% in the undiluted wastewater or by 68% after 1:1 v/v dilution.

ACS Style

Konstantinos Azis; Zografina Mavriou; Dimitrios Karpouzas; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. Evaluation of Sand Filtration and Activated Carbon Adsorption for the Post-Treatment of a Secondary Biologically-Treated Fungicide-Containing Wastewater from Fruit-Packing Industries. Processes 2021, 9, 1223 .

AMA Style

Konstantinos Azis, Zografina Mavriou, Dimitrios Karpouzas, Spyridon Ntougias, Paraschos Melidis. Evaluation of Sand Filtration and Activated Carbon Adsorption for the Post-Treatment of a Secondary Biologically-Treated Fungicide-Containing Wastewater from Fruit-Packing Industries. Processes. 2021; 9 (7):1223.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Konstantinos Azis; Zografina Mavriou; Dimitrios Karpouzas; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. 2021. "Evaluation of Sand Filtration and Activated Carbon Adsorption for the Post-Treatment of a Secondary Biologically-Treated Fungicide-Containing Wastewater from Fruit-Packing Industries." Processes 9, no. 7: 1223.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2021 in Biochemical Engineering Journal
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The aim of this study was to apply the ASM1 model to predict the aeration cost of an intermittently aerated and fed bioreactor (IAFB) treating domestic wastewater at dissolved oxygen (DO) set points of 1–4 mg/L. In this work, the energy efficiency from the use of a classical Proportional-Integral (PI) DO controller installed in the IAFB system was compared to that of a DO cascade controller. In comparison to classical PI DO controller, a DO cascade controller set at 3 mg/L could reduce energy consumption by up to 16 %, decreasing the nitrification rate by only 5%. Moreover, a DO cascade controller at set point of 2.5 mg/L could lead to less energy consumption compared to a set point of 4.0 mg/L (by 41 %), reducing nitrification rate by only 7%. In particular, DO concentration higher than 3 mg/L can result in a higher air flow rate, which, however, does not drastically improve nitrification rate, causing an overaerated mode of operation, thus significantly increasing the aeration cost. These results indicate that the IAFB system can be accurately simulated through the use of ASM1 model within OpenModelica software, evaluating energy saving consumption scenarios during IAFB system operation.

ACS Style

Iosif Asteriadis; Konstantinos Azis; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. A control strategy for an intermittently aerated and fed bioreactor to reduce aeration costs: A simulation study. Biochemical Engineering Journal 2021, 173, 108081 .

AMA Style

Iosif Asteriadis, Konstantinos Azis, Spyridon Ntougias, Paraschos Melidis. A control strategy for an intermittently aerated and fed bioreactor to reduce aeration costs: A simulation study. Biochemical Engineering Journal. 2021; 173 ():108081.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Iosif Asteriadis; Konstantinos Azis; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. 2021. "A control strategy for an intermittently aerated and fed bioreactor to reduce aeration costs: A simulation study." Biochemical Engineering Journal 173, no. : 108081.

Original paper
Published: 06 February 2021 in Waste and Biomass Valorization
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Although the management of citrus residues is of concern, their valorization is a challenging alternative. In this work, raw orange juice processing wastewater was spontaneously fermented to determine the succession in microbial communities and identify new indigenous microbial strains of high pectinolytic activity. Pectinolytic strains were isolated using citrus pectin as growth substrate. A shift in fungal population observed during spontaneous fermentation, where the abundances of Hanseniaspora, Cystofilobasidium and Meyerozyma were significantly increased, whereas Pichia fermentans followed by Saccharomyces spp. became the predominant taxa in the fermented wastewater. A significant reduction in the relative abundance of homofermentative aerococci and an increase in the relative abundance of heterofermentative leuconostocs and lactobacilli occurred during fermentation, while enterococci were predominant throughout the fermentation process. Regarding ecological indices, opposite changes took place in the bacterial compared to fungal community structure, but in a less pronounced degree. Examination of beta-diversity revealed the key role of Pichia species in driving fungal community structure during fermentation. P. fermentans, the predominant taxon in the fermented wastewater, was found to be the most effective pectinolytic microorganism. Pectin hydrolysis, carbohydrate fermentation to ethanol, lactic acid and acetate, and citric acid fermentation were the most important factors, influencing microbial community structure.

ACS Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Paraschos Melidis; George Tsiamis; Spyridon Ntougias. Microbial Succession and Identification of Effective Indigenous Pectinolytic Yeasts From Orange Juice Processing Wastewater. Waste and Biomass Valorization 2021, 12, 4885 -4899.

AMA Style

Ioanna Zerva, Nikolaos Remmas, Paraschos Melidis, George Tsiamis, Spyridon Ntougias. Microbial Succession and Identification of Effective Indigenous Pectinolytic Yeasts From Orange Juice Processing Wastewater. Waste and Biomass Valorization. 2021; 12 (9):4885-4899.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Paraschos Melidis; George Tsiamis; Spyridon Ntougias. 2021. "Microbial Succession and Identification of Effective Indigenous Pectinolytic Yeasts From Orange Juice Processing Wastewater." Waste and Biomass Valorization 12, no. 9: 4885-4899.

Journal article
Published: 19 January 2021 in Life
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The evaluation of effluent wastewater quality mainly relies on the assessment of conventional bacterial indicators, such as fecal coliforms and enterococci; however, little is known about opportunistic pathogens, which can resist chlorination and may be transmitted in aquatic environments. In contrast to conventional microbiological methods, high-throughput molecular techniques can provide an accurate evaluation of effluent quality, although a limited number of studies have been performed in this direction. In this work, high-throughput amplicon sequencing was employed to assess the effectiveness of chlorination as a disinfection method for secondary effluents. Common inhabitants of the intestinal tract, such as Bacteroides, Arcobacter and Clostridium, and activated sludge denitrifiers capable of forming biofilms, such as Acidovorax, Pseudomonas and Thauera, were identified in the chlorinated effluent. Chloroflexi with dechlorination capability and the bacteria involved in enhanced biological phosphorus removal, i.e., Candidatus Accumulibacter and Candidatus Competibacter, were also found to resist chlorination. No detection of Escherichia indicates the lack of fecal coliform contamination. Mycobacterium spp. were absent in the chlorinated effluent, whereas toxin-producing cyanobacteria of the genera Anabaena and Microcystis were identified in low abundances. Chlorination significantly affected the filamentous bacteria Nocardioides and Gordonia, whereas Zoogloea proliferated in the disinfected effluent. Moreover, perchlorate/chlorate- and organochlorine-reducing bacteria resisted chlorination.

ACS Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Ifigeneia Kagalou; Paraschos Melidis; Marina Ariantsi; Georgios Sylaios; Spyridon Ntougias. Effect of Chlorination on Microbiological Quality of Effluent of a Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plant. Life 2021, 11, 68 .

AMA Style

Ioanna Zerva, Nikolaos Remmas, Ifigeneia Kagalou, Paraschos Melidis, Marina Ariantsi, Georgios Sylaios, Spyridon Ntougias. Effect of Chlorination on Microbiological Quality of Effluent of a Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plant. Life. 2021; 11 (1):68.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Ifigeneia Kagalou; Paraschos Melidis; Marina Ariantsi; Georgios Sylaios; Spyridon Ntougias. 2021. "Effect of Chlorination on Microbiological Quality of Effluent of a Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plant." Life 11, no. 1: 68.

Journal article
Published: 11 January 2021 in Bioresource Technology
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Although caper processing wastewaters (CPW) are characterized by high organic content and salt concentration, no attempt has been made to treat these effluents. In this study, an immobilized cell bioreactor efficiently treated CPW even at hypersaline conditions (100 g/L salinity). Nitrogen was mainly assimilated during biotreatment, as nitrification was inhibited at elevated salinities. The hydrolytic potential was assessed by determining glucanase, xylanase, glucosidase, lipase and protease activities, which were negatively affected above 20 g/L salinity as the consequence of the inhibition of non-halotolerant microbiota. Succession of non-halotolerant taxa by the slightly halotolerant bacteria Defluviimonas, Amaricoccus, Arenibacter, Formosa and Muricauda, and then by the moderately/extremely halotolerant genera Halomonas, Roseovarius and Idiomarina occurred over salinity increase. Diversity indices were reduced during transition from moderately saline to hypersaline conditions. A distinct network was formed at hypersaline conditions, consisting of the halotolerant genera Halomonas, Idiomarina, Saliterribacillus and Gracilibacillus.

ACS Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Paraschos Melidis; Spyridon Ntougias. Biotreatment efficiency, hydrolytic potential and bacterial community dynamics in an immobilized cell bioreactor treating caper processing wastewater under highly saline conditions. Bioresource Technology 2021, 325, 124694 .

AMA Style

Ioanna Zerva, Nikolaos Remmas, Paraschos Melidis, Spyridon Ntougias. Biotreatment efficiency, hydrolytic potential and bacterial community dynamics in an immobilized cell bioreactor treating caper processing wastewater under highly saline conditions. Bioresource Technology. 2021; 325 ():124694.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Paraschos Melidis; Spyridon Ntougias. 2021. "Biotreatment efficiency, hydrolytic potential and bacterial community dynamics in an immobilized cell bioreactor treating caper processing wastewater under highly saline conditions." Bioresource Technology 325, no. : 124694.

Journal article
Published: 16 May 2020 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
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The large quantities and the persistent nature of fungicide wastewaters have increased the efforts towards a sustainable technological solution. In this context, fludioxonil-contaminated wastewater was treated in an upflow immobilized cell bioreactor, resulting in chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency even higher than 80%, whereas the electrical conductivity (EC) of the effluent was gradually increased. Organic-F was mineralized by 94.0 ± 5.2%, which was in accordance with the high fludioxonil removal efficiency (95.4 ± 4.0%). In addition, effluent total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) concentration reduced significantly during bioprocessing. A strong relationship among COD removal, TKN/total nitrogen removal, and effluent EC increase (p < 0.01) was identified. Despite the adequate aeration provided, effluent nitrite and nitrate concentrations were negligible. Illumina sequencing revealed a reduction in the relative abundances of Betaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, and Firmicutes and an increase in the proportion of Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria. A shift in bacterial communities occurred during fludioxonil treatment, resulting in the significant increase of the relative abundances of Empedobacter, Sphingopyxis, and Rhodopseudomonas (from 0.67 ± 0.13% at the start-up to 34.34 ± 1.60% at the end of biotreatment). In conclusion, the immobilized cell bioreactor permitted the proliferation of specialized activated sludge microbiota with an active role in the depuration of postharvest fungicides.

ACS Style

Zografina Mavriou; Ioanna Alexandropoulou; Paraschos Melidis; Dimitrios G. Karpouzas; Spyridon Ntougias. Biotreatment and bacterial succession in an upflow immobilized cell bioreactor fed with fludioxonil wastewater. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2020, 28, 3774 -3786.

AMA Style

Zografina Mavriou, Ioanna Alexandropoulou, Paraschos Melidis, Dimitrios G. Karpouzas, Spyridon Ntougias. Biotreatment and bacterial succession in an upflow immobilized cell bioreactor fed with fludioxonil wastewater. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2020; 28 (4):3774-3786.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zografina Mavriou; Ioanna Alexandropoulou; Paraschos Melidis; Dimitrios G. Karpouzas; Spyridon Ntougias. 2020. "Biotreatment and bacterial succession in an upflow immobilized cell bioreactor fed with fludioxonil wastewater." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28, no. 4: 3774-3786.

Journal article
Published: 18 December 2019 in BMC Biotechnology
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Background Enterobacter sp. AA26 was recently isolated from the midgut of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) and it was shown to have positive effects in rearing efficiency when used as larval probiotics. In this study, biomass production was carried out in bench-scale bioreactors to elucidate the biokinetic properties of Enterobacter sp. AA26 and its nutritional value. Results Strain AA26 is a psychrotolerant, halotolerant, facultatively anaerobic bacterium with broad pH range for growth (pH 4 to 10.2), which possessed the typical biochemical profile of Enterobacter spp. The specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) was calculated as 63.2 ± 1.26 and 121 ± 1.73 mg O2 g− 1 VSS h− 1, with the yield coefficients in acetate and glucose being equal to 0.62 ± 0.03 and 0.67 ± 0.003 g biomass produced/g substrate consumed, respectively. The maximum specific growth rate (μmax) of strain AA26 grown in fill-and-draw bioreactors at 20 °C and 35 °C was 0.035 and 0.069 h− 1, respectively. Strain AA26 grew effectively in agro-industrial wastewaters, i.e. cheese whey wastewater (CWW), as alternative substrate for replacing yeast-based media. Biomass of strain AA26 could provide all the essential amino acids and vitamins for the artificial rearing of C. capitata. Greater intracellular α- and β-glucosidase activities were observed during growth of strain AA26 in CWW than in yeast-based substrate, although the opposite pattern was observed for the respective extracellular activities (p < 0.01). Low protease activity was exhibited in cells grown in yeast-based medium, while no lipase activities were detected. Conclusions The ability of strain AA26 to grow in agro-industrial wastes and to provide all the essential nutrients can minimize the cost of commercial media used for mass rearing and large scale sterile insect technique applications.

ACS Style

Konstantinos Azis; Ioanna Zerva; Paraschos Melidis; Carlos Caceres; Kostas Bourtzis; Spyridon Ntougias. Biochemical and nutritional characterization of the medfly gut symbiont Enterobacter sp. AA26 for its use as probiotics in sterile insect technique applications. BMC Biotechnology 2019, 19, 1 -10.

AMA Style

Konstantinos Azis, Ioanna Zerva, Paraschos Melidis, Carlos Caceres, Kostas Bourtzis, Spyridon Ntougias. Biochemical and nutritional characterization of the medfly gut symbiont Enterobacter sp. AA26 for its use as probiotics in sterile insect technique applications. BMC Biotechnology. 2019; 19 (2):1-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Konstantinos Azis; Ioanna Zerva; Paraschos Melidis; Carlos Caceres; Kostas Bourtzis; Spyridon Ntougias. 2019. "Biochemical and nutritional characterization of the medfly gut symbiont Enterobacter sp. AA26 for its use as probiotics in sterile insect technique applications." BMC Biotechnology 19, no. 2: 1-10.

Journal article
Published: 22 August 2019 in Processes
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Despite that diclofenac has been embodied to the European watch list of priority substances of concern, studies on diclofenac biodegradation are limited and the diversity of diclofenac-degrading microbiota remains unknown. In this work, an immobilized cell biofilter was constructed and operated to evaluate its effectiveness to depurate high strength diclofenac wastewater and to identify the diclofenac-degrading community accommodated in activated sludge by employing high-throughput sequencing techniques. After a two-month adaptation period, biofilter removal efficiencies reached values as high as 97.63 ± 0.62%, whereas utilization of diclofenac in the immobilized cell biofilter led to a drastic pH decrease. Based on Illumina sequencing, the major bacterial taxa identified in the immobilized cell biofilter were members of the species Granulicella pectinivorans and Rhodanobacter terrae, followed by members of the species Castellaniella denitrificans, Parvibaculum lavamentivorans, Bordetella petrii, Bryocella elongata and Rhodopseudomonas palustris. The ability of such taxa to utilize a wide range of carbon sources and to effectively adapt under acidic conditions seemed to be the main parameters, which favored their prevalence in the immobilized cell biofilter. In addition, Wickerhamiella was the predominant fungal taxon in the immobilized cell biofilter, which appears to be actively involved in diclofenac degradation in activated sludge systems.

ACS Style

Efstathia Navrozidou; Nikolaos Remmas; Paraschos Melidis; Dimitrios G. Karpouzas; George Tsiamis; Spyridon Ntougias. Biodegradation Potential and Diversity of Diclofenac-degrading Microbiota in an Immobilized Cell Biofilter. Processes 2019, 7, 554 .

AMA Style

Efstathia Navrozidou, Nikolaos Remmas, Paraschos Melidis, Dimitrios G. Karpouzas, George Tsiamis, Spyridon Ntougias. Biodegradation Potential and Diversity of Diclofenac-degrading Microbiota in an Immobilized Cell Biofilter. Processes. 2019; 7 (9):554.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Efstathia Navrozidou; Nikolaos Remmas; Paraschos Melidis; Dimitrios G. Karpouzas; George Tsiamis; Spyridon Ntougias. 2019. "Biodegradation Potential and Diversity of Diclofenac-degrading Microbiota in an Immobilized Cell Biofilter." Processes 7, no. 9: 554.

Articles
Published: 02 July 2019 in Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A
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The main objective of wastewater treatment is to remove carbon and other nutrients from municipal and industrial effluents in order to protect the environment and human health. Typical wastewater treatment is usually achieved by a combination of physical, chemical and biological methods. In this work, municipal wastewater was depurated using chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) in combination with a pilot-scale trickling filter. Lab scale experiments (Jar-tests) were carried out in order to determine the optimum dosage of chemicals. Selection criteria were the organic load removal efficiency and the low operational cost. Coagulation-flocculation process was conducted through polyaluminium chloride (PAC) and the cationic polyelectrolyte (Zetag 8180) addition. By combining CEPT and trickling filter, tCOD (total Chemical Oxygen Demand), sCOD (soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand), BOD5 (5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand), NH4+-N, TSS (Total Suspended Solids), VSS (Volatile Suspended Solids) and PO43−-P removal efficiencies were estimated to be 89, 82, 93, 60, 96, 96 and 78%, respectively. It is concluded that biological filtration contributed significantly in nutrients removal processes. Moreover, the obtained effluent was low in carbon and rich in nitrogen, which can be applied for restricted irrigation after disinfection, complying with the discharge limits set in the Greek Joint Ministerial Decree 145116/2011.

ACS Style

Athanasios Bezirgiannidis; Aikaterini Plesia-Efstathopoulou; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. Combined chemically enhanced primary sedimentation and biofiltration process for low cost municipal wastewater treatment. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A 2019, 54, 1227 -1232.

AMA Style

Athanasios Bezirgiannidis, Aikaterini Plesia-Efstathopoulou, Spyridon Ntougias, Paraschos Melidis. Combined chemically enhanced primary sedimentation and biofiltration process for low cost municipal wastewater treatment. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 2019; 54 (12):1227-1232.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Athanasios Bezirgiannidis; Aikaterini Plesia-Efstathopoulou; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. 2019. "Combined chemically enhanced primary sedimentation and biofiltration process for low cost municipal wastewater treatment." Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A 54, no. 12: 1227-1232.

Journal article
Published: 18 June 2019 in Journal of Phytopathology
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ACS Style

Demetrios J. Vakalounakis; Spyridon Ntougias; Nektarios Kavroulakis; Eftichios Protopapadakis. Neofusicoccum parvumandDiaporthe foeniculinaassociated with twig and shoot blight and branch canker of citrus in Greece. Journal of Phytopathology 2019, 167, 527 -537.

AMA Style

Demetrios J. Vakalounakis, Spyridon Ntougias, Nektarios Kavroulakis, Eftichios Protopapadakis. Neofusicoccum parvumandDiaporthe foeniculinaassociated with twig and shoot blight and branch canker of citrus in Greece. Journal of Phytopathology. 2019; 167 (9):527-537.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Demetrios J. Vakalounakis; Spyridon Ntougias; Nektarios Kavroulakis; Eftichios Protopapadakis. 2019. "Neofusicoccum parvumandDiaporthe foeniculinaassociated with twig and shoot blight and branch canker of citrus in Greece." Journal of Phytopathology 167, no. 9: 527-537.

Research article
Published: 12 March 2019 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
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An enrichment process was employed by applying high ibuprofen concentration in an immobilized cell bioreactor in order to favor the ibuprofen-degrading community present in activated sludge. Experimental data showed the ability of the immobilized cell bioreactor to achieve high ibuprofen removal efficiencies (98.4 ± 0.3%), the tendency of the enriched biomass to acidify the treated liquor, and the inhibition of the nitrification process. Illumina sequencing revealed a massive increase in the relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria (from 29.1 to 80.8%) and a dramatic decrease in the proportion of Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia (from 42.7 to 2.1%) when pure ibuprofen served as the sole carbonaceous feeding substrate. This shift in the feeding conditions resulted in the predominance of Novosphingobium and Rhodanobacter (25.5 ± 10.8% and 25.2 ± 3.0%, respectively) and demonstrated a specialized ibuprofen-degrading bacterial community in activated sludge, which possessed the selective advantage to cope with its degradation. To the best of our knowledge, this bioreactor system was capable of effectively treating the highest ibuprofen concentration applied in wastewater treatment plants.

ACS Style

Efstathia Navrozidou; Paraschos Melidis; Spyridon Ntougias. Biodegradation aspects of ibuprofen and identification of ibuprofen-degrading microbiota in an immobilized cell bioreactor. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2019, 26, 14238 -14249.

AMA Style

Efstathia Navrozidou, Paraschos Melidis, Spyridon Ntougias. Biodegradation aspects of ibuprofen and identification of ibuprofen-degrading microbiota in an immobilized cell bioreactor. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2019; 26 (14):14238-14249.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Efstathia Navrozidou; Paraschos Melidis; Spyridon Ntougias. 2019. "Biodegradation aspects of ibuprofen and identification of ibuprofen-degrading microbiota in an immobilized cell bioreactor." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 26, no. 14: 14238-14249.

Journal article
Published: 02 March 2019 in Beverages
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Cellulases can be applied as macerating and peeling enzymes in the orange juice processing industry. In this work, indigenous cellulose-degrading microorganisms were isolated from orange juice processing waste through successive enrichment procedures using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the sole carbon source. A total of 24 microbial isolates were screened for their ability to grow in CMC liquid medium, resulting in the selection of seven isolates. The latter were further assessed by determining their endo-1,4-β-d-glucanase, exo-1,4-β-d-glucanase, and β-1,4-d-glucosidase activities, of which their respective activities were as high as 3.89, 10.67, and 10.69 U/mg protein. All cellulose-degraders selected belonged to the genus Paenibacillus, although to distinct operational taxonomic units related to P. xylanexedens, P. tundrae, and P. pabuli (operational taxonomic unit—OTU#1) and to P. wynnii, P. odorifer, and P. donghaensis (OTU#2) spectrum. Regarding the cellulase activities of the orange juice processing waste, endo-1,4-β-d-glucanase activity (4.00 ± 0.11 U/g) was exerted only extracellularly, whereas exo-1,4-β-d-glucanase (2.60 ± 0.19 U/g) and β-1,4-d-glucosidase (5.69 ± 0.23 U/g) activities were exhibited both extracellularly and intracellularly. In conclusion, orange juice processing waste can be considered as a valuable source for the isolation of cellulose-degrading microbiota with potential uses in beverage industry, solid state fermentation and energy production.

ACS Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Spyridon Ntougias. Biocatalyst Potential of Cellulose-Degrading Microorganisms Isolated from Orange Juice Processing Waste. Beverages 2019, 5, 21 .

AMA Style

Ioanna Zerva, Nikolaos Remmas, Spyridon Ntougias. Biocatalyst Potential of Cellulose-Degrading Microorganisms Isolated from Orange Juice Processing Waste. Beverages. 2019; 5 (1):21.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Spyridon Ntougias. 2019. "Biocatalyst Potential of Cellulose-Degrading Microorganisms Isolated from Orange Juice Processing Waste." Beverages 5, no. 1: 21.

Journal article
Published: 05 February 2019 in Water
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The orange juice processing sector produces worldwide massive amounts of waste, which is characterized by high lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose content, and which exceeds 40% of the fruit’s dry weight (d.w.). In this work, the diversity and the biotechnological potential of xylan-degrading microbiota in orange juice processing waste were investigated through the implementation of an enrichment isolation strategy followed by enzyme assays for the determination of xylanolytic activities, and via next generation sequencing for microbial diversity identification. Intracellular rather than extracellular endo-1,4-β-xylanase activities were detected, indicating that peripheral cell-bound (surface) xylanases are involved in xylan hydrolysis by the examined microbial strains. Among the isolated microbial strains, bacterial isolates belonging to Pseudomonas psychrotolerans/P. oryzihabitans spectrum (99.9%/99.8% similarity, respectively) exhibited activities of 280 U/mg protein. In contrast, almost all microbial strains isolated exerted low extracellular 1,4-β-xylosidase activities (

ACS Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Spyridon Ntougias. Diversity and Biotechnological Potential of Xylan-Degrading Microorganisms from Orange Juice Processing Waste. Water 2019, 11, 274 .

AMA Style

Ioanna Zerva, Nikolaos Remmas, Spyridon Ntougias. Diversity and Biotechnological Potential of Xylan-Degrading Microorganisms from Orange Juice Processing Waste. Water. 2019; 11 (2):274.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ioanna Zerva; Nikolaos Remmas; Spyridon Ntougias. 2019. "Diversity and Biotechnological Potential of Xylan-Degrading Microorganisms from Orange Juice Processing Waste." Water 11, no. 2: 274.

Original article
Published: 16 June 2018 in Environmental Processes
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The performance of a pilot-scale hollow fiber submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) for biological treatment of a low carbon/nitrogen ratio domestic wastewater was evaluated during 120 days of operation. The MBR system was operated under alternating aeration, periodic feeding and external organic carbon source addition in order to achieve the legislation disposal limits. Experiments were contacted under three carbon/nitrogen (COD/TKN) ratios, i.e. 3.66 ± 1.3, 4.37 ± 1.34 and 8.3 ± 1.03, where a low strength wastewater was treated in the absence and presence of raw wastewater or glycerol as external carbon source. At the end of the experimental period, biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was extremely high, reaching efficiencies and effluent concentrations of 99.2 ± 0.4 and 97.4 ± 2.4%, and 3.7 ± 1.1 and 14.7 ± 11.0 mg/L, respectively. Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) and NH4+-N removal efficiencies were determined as 89.2 ± 3.9 and 97.0 ± 0.9%, with the corresponding effluent concentrations being equal of 7.9 ± 2.3 and 1.7 ± 0.5 mg/L, respectively. Denitrification was enhanced by adding glycerol, resulting in an effluent NO3−-N concentration of 1.9 ± 0.9 mg/L. The release of soluble microbial products (SMP) was favored over extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) under low COD/TKN ratio, although this trend was inverted under high COD/TKN ratio conditions. MBR effluent quality was found to be suitable for unlimited reuse.

ACS Style

Athanasios Bezirgiannidis; Nikolaos Marinakis; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. Membrane Bioreactor Performance during Processing of a Low Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio Municipal Wastewater. Environmental Processes 2018, 5, 87 -100.

AMA Style

Athanasios Bezirgiannidis, Nikolaos Marinakis, Spyridon Ntougias, Paraschos Melidis. Membrane Bioreactor Performance during Processing of a Low Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio Municipal Wastewater. Environmental Processes. 2018; 5 (S1):87-100.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Athanasios Bezirgiannidis; Nikolaos Marinakis; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. 2018. "Membrane Bioreactor Performance during Processing of a Low Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio Municipal Wastewater." Environmental Processes 5, no. S1: 87-100.

Articles
Published: 09 March 2018 in Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A
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Despite the fact that biological nitrogen removal (BNR) process has been studied in detail in laboratory- and pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) systems treating landfill leachate, a limited number of research works have been performed in full-scale SBR plants regarding nitrification and denitrification. In the current study, a full-scale twin SBR system in series of 700 m3 (350 m3 each) treating medium-age landfill leachate was evaluated in terms of its carbon and nitrogen removal efficiency in the absence and presence of external carbon source, i.e., glycerol from biodiesel production. Both biodegradable organic carbon and ammonia were highly oxidized [biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and total Kjehldahl nitrogen (TKN) removal efficiencies above 90%], whereas chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was slightly above 40%, which is within the range reported in the literature for pilot-scale SBRs. As the consequence of the high recalcitrant organic fraction of the landfill leachate, dissimilatory nitrate reduction was restricted in the absence of crude glycerol, although denitrification was improved by electron donor addition, resulting in TN removal efficiencies above 70%. Experimental data revealed that the second SBR negligibly contributed to BNR process, since carbon and ammonia oxidation completion was achieved in the first SBR. On the other hand, the low VSS/SS ratio, due to the lack of primary sedimentation, highly improved sludge settleability, resulting in sludge volume indices (SVI) below 30 mL g-1.

ACS Style

Nikolaos Remmas; Spyridon Ntougias; Marianna Chatzopoulou; Paraschos Melidis. Optimization aspects of the biological nitrogen removal process in a full-scale twin sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system in series treating landfill leachate. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A 2018, 53, 847 -853.

AMA Style

Nikolaos Remmas, Spyridon Ntougias, Marianna Chatzopoulou, Paraschos Melidis. Optimization aspects of the biological nitrogen removal process in a full-scale twin sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system in series treating landfill leachate. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 2018; 53 (9):847-853.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nikolaos Remmas; Spyridon Ntougias; Marianna Chatzopoulou; Paraschos Melidis. 2018. "Optimization aspects of the biological nitrogen removal process in a full-scale twin sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system in series treating landfill leachate." Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A 53, no. 9: 847-853.

Proceedings
Published: 01 January 2018 in Proceedings
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Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) highly contribute to the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. In this work, the diversity of ermF, ermB, sul1 and int1-enconding genes was examined in the influent, the mixed liquor and the effluent of a full-scale WWTP. Based on the clones analyzed, similar genotypes were recorded at all process stages. However, distinct genotypes of int1 were responsible for the expression of sul1 and ermF genes in Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, respectively. Due to the detection of similar ARGs profiles throughout the biological process, it is concluded that additional treatment is needed for their retention.

ACS Style

Ioanna Zerva; Ioanna Alexandropoulou; Maria Panopoulou; Paraschos Melidis; Spyridon Ntougias. Antibiotic Resistance Genes Dynamics at the Different Stages of the Biological Process in a Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plant. Proceedings 2018, 2, 650 .

AMA Style

Ioanna Zerva, Ioanna Alexandropoulou, Maria Panopoulou, Paraschos Melidis, Spyridon Ntougias. Antibiotic Resistance Genes Dynamics at the Different Stages of the Biological Process in a Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plant. Proceedings. 2018; 2 (11):650.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ioanna Zerva; Ioanna Alexandropoulou; Maria Panopoulou; Paraschos Melidis; Spyridon Ntougias. 2018. "Antibiotic Resistance Genes Dynamics at the Different Stages of the Biological Process in a Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Plant." Proceedings 2, no. 11: 650.

Proceedings
Published: 01 January 2018 in Proceedings
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Use of Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology for municipal wastewater treatment has been increased in recent years, as it successfully overcomes the disadvantages of the conventional activated sludge process. Membrane fouling is the major disadvantage of MBRs and leads to decreased membrane performance and expanded operational expenses. In this study, fouling was monitored in a pilot-scale submerged MBR system fed with municipal wastewater. TMP was directly measured on the membrane module during the operation. To control TMP increase owing to biosolids accumulation on membrane surface, successive backwashes and air-cross flow velocity increase were applied. These measures lowered TMP and improved flux.

ACS Style

Konstantinos Azis; Marianthi Malioka; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. Membrane Fouling Monitoring in a Submerged Membrane Bioreactor. Proceedings 2018, 2, 653 .

AMA Style

Konstantinos Azis, Marianthi Malioka, Spyridon Ntougias, Paraschos Melidis. Membrane Fouling Monitoring in a Submerged Membrane Bioreactor. Proceedings. 2018; 2 (11):653.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Konstantinos Azis; Marianthi Malioka; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. 2018. "Membrane Fouling Monitoring in a Submerged Membrane Bioreactor." Proceedings 2, no. 11: 653.

Research article
Published: 01 November 2017 in Plant Disease
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A two-year survey was conducted to identify fungi associated with wood decay in a range of tree species and grapevine. Fifty-eight fungal strains isolated from plants of 18 species showing typical wood decay symptoms were characterized by morphological, physiological, and molecular analyses. By 5.8S rRNA gene-ITS sequencing analysis, these isolates were classified into 25 distinct operational taxonomic units, including important phytopathogenic species of the phyla Pezizomycotina and Agaricomycotina, such as Fomitiporia, Inonotus, Phellinus, Inocutis, Fuscoporia, Trametes, Fusarium, Eutypa, Phaeomoniella, Phaeoacremonium, and Pleurostomophora spp. The white rot basidiomycetes Fomitiporia mediterranea (20 isolates, 34.5%) and Inonotus hispidus (6 isolates, 10.3%) were the most prevalent. Pathogenicity tests revealed for the first time that certain fungal species of the genera Fomitiporia, Inonotus, Phellinus, Pleurostomophora, and Fusarium caused wood infection of various tree species in Greece and worldwide. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of F. mediterranea as the causal agent of wood decay in pear, pomegranate, kumquat, and silk tree. This is also the first record of Inonotus hispidus, Phellinus pomaceus, Pleurostomophora richardsiae, and Fusarium solani in apple, almond, avocado, and mulberry tree, respectively, whereas P. richardsiae was associated with wood infection of olive tree for the first time in Greece. Cross pathogenicity tests with F. mediterranea strains originated from grapevine applied on other woody hosts and from olive on grapevine demonstrated partial host specificity of the fungus. The potential of F. mediterranea to transinfect hosts other than those originated, along with the host range extension of the fungus, is discussed.

ACS Style

Emmanouil Markakis; Nektarios Kavroulakis; Spyridon Ntougias; Georgios Koubouris; Chrysi K. Sergentani; Eleftherios K. Ligoxigakis. Characterization of Fungi Associated With Wood Decay of Tree Species and Grapevine in Greece. Plant Disease 2017, 101, 1929 -1940.

AMA Style

Emmanouil Markakis, Nektarios Kavroulakis, Spyridon Ntougias, Georgios Koubouris, Chrysi K. Sergentani, Eleftherios K. Ligoxigakis. Characterization of Fungi Associated With Wood Decay of Tree Species and Grapevine in Greece. Plant Disease. 2017; 101 (11):1929-1940.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Emmanouil Markakis; Nektarios Kavroulakis; Spyridon Ntougias; Georgios Koubouris; Chrysi K. Sergentani; Eleftherios K. Ligoxigakis. 2017. "Characterization of Fungi Associated With Wood Decay of Tree Species and Grapevine in Greece." Plant Disease 101, no. 11: 1929-1940.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2017 in Bioresource Technology
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A membrane bioreactor (MBR), accomplishing high nitrogen removal efficiencies, was evaluated under various landfill leachate concentrations (50, 75 and 100% v/v). Proteinous and carbohydrate extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial product (SMP) were strongly correlated (p<0.01) with organic load, salinity and NH-N. Exceptionally high β-glucosidase activities (6700-10,100Ug) were determined during MBR operation with 50% v/v leachate, as a result of the low organic carbon availability that extendedly induced β-glucosidases to breakdown the least biodegradable organic fraction. Illumina sequencing revealed that candidate Saccharibacteria were dominant, independently of the leachate concentration applied, whereas other microbiota (21.2% of total reads) disappeared when undiluted leachate was used. Fungal taxa shifted from a Saccharomyces- to a newly-described Cryptomycota-based community with increasing leachate concentration. Indeed, this is the first report on the dominance of candidate Saccharibacteria and on the examination of their metabolic behavior in a bioreactor treating real wastewater.

ACS Style

Nikolaos Remmas; Paraschos Melidis; Ioanna Zerva; Jon Bent Kristoffersen; Sofia Nikolaki; George Tsiamis; Spyridon Ntougias. Dominance of candidate Saccharibacteria in a membrane bioreactor treating medium age landfill leachate: Effects of organic load on microbial communities, hydrolytic potential and extracellular polymeric substances. Bioresource Technology 2017, 238, 48 -56.

AMA Style

Nikolaos Remmas, Paraschos Melidis, Ioanna Zerva, Jon Bent Kristoffersen, Sofia Nikolaki, George Tsiamis, Spyridon Ntougias. Dominance of candidate Saccharibacteria in a membrane bioreactor treating medium age landfill leachate: Effects of organic load on microbial communities, hydrolytic potential and extracellular polymeric substances. Bioresource Technology. 2017; 238 ():48-56.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nikolaos Remmas; Paraschos Melidis; Ioanna Zerva; Jon Bent Kristoffersen; Sofia Nikolaki; George Tsiamis; Spyridon Ntougias. 2017. "Dominance of candidate Saccharibacteria in a membrane bioreactor treating medium age landfill leachate: Effects of organic load on microbial communities, hydrolytic potential and extracellular polymeric substances." Bioresource Technology 238, no. : 48-56.

Journal article
Published: 19 June 2017 in Water Science and Technology
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The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and effluent quality of a pilot-scale intermittently aerated and fed, externally submerged membrane bioreactor (MBRes) treating municipal wastewater. The effluent quality of the MBRes was evaluated regarding system ability to comply with the Greek legislative limits for restricted and unrestricted wastewater reuse. The average permeate flux was 13.9 L m−2 h−1, while the transmembrane pressure remained above the level of −110 mbar. Experimental data showed that biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, PO43−- P and total suspended solids removal efficiencies were 97.8, 93.1, 89.6, 93.2 and 100%, respectively, whereas turbidity was reduced by 94.1%. Total coliforms and Escherichia coli were fully eliminated by ultrafiltration and disinfection methods, such as chlorination and ultraviolet radiation. In agreement with the Greek legislation (Joint Ministerial Decree 145116/11) and the guidelines recommended for the Mediterranean countries, the disinfected effluent of the MBRes system can be safely reused directly for urban purposes.

ACS Style

Konstantinos Azis; Charalampos Vardalachakis; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. Microbiological and physicochemical evaluation of the effluent quality in a membrane bioreactor system to meet the legislative limits for wastewater reuse. Water Science and Technology 2017, 76, 1796 -1804.

AMA Style

Konstantinos Azis, Charalampos Vardalachakis, Spyridon Ntougias, Paraschos Melidis. Microbiological and physicochemical evaluation of the effluent quality in a membrane bioreactor system to meet the legislative limits for wastewater reuse. Water Science and Technology. 2017; 76 (7):1796-1804.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Konstantinos Azis; Charalampos Vardalachakis; Spyridon Ntougias; Paraschos Melidis. 2017. "Microbiological and physicochemical evaluation of the effluent quality in a membrane bioreactor system to meet the legislative limits for wastewater reuse." Water Science and Technology 76, no. 7: 1796-1804.