Use of nitrate, sulphate, and iron (III) as electron acceptors to improve the anaerobic degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate: effects on removal potential and microbiota diversification

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is a synthetic anionic surfactant that is found in certain amounts in wastewaters and even in water bodies, despite its known biodegradability. This study aimed to assess the influence of nitrate, sulphate, and iron (III) on LAS anaerobic degradation and biomass microbial diversity. Batch reactors were inoculated with anaerobic biomass, nutrients, LAS (20 mg L−1), one of the three electron acceptors, and ethanol (40 mg L−1) as a co-substrate. The control treatments, with and without co-substrate, showed limited LAS biodegradation efficiencies of 10 ± 2