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Degradation of predigested distillery effluent by isolated bacterial strains
Neeraj Jain1, A K Minocha, C L Verma
1Environmental Science and Technology Division, Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee 247 667, India.
Indian Journal of Experimental Biology
|February 4, 2003
Summary
Three bacterial strains effectively removed chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color from distillery wastewater. Bacillus cereus demonstrated the highest removal efficiency, indicating its potential for bioremediation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Biotechnology
- Wastewater Treatment
Background:
- Distillery wastewater poses significant environmental challenges due to high organic load and color.
- Bioremediation using microbial consortia offers a sustainable solution for treating industrial effluents.
- Activated sludge harbors diverse microbial communities capable of degrading complex organic compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of three bacterial strains (Xanthomonas fragariae, Bacillus megaterium, and Bacillus cereus) in degrading distillery wastewater.
- To compare the performance of free and immobilized bacterial cells for enhanced bioremediation.
- To determine the optimal conditions and kinetics for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removal.
Main Methods:
- Batch studies were performed using free and immobilized cells of Xanthomonas fragariae, Bacillus megaterium, and Bacillus cereus.
- Wastewater samples were analyzed for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color removal over a 120-hour period.
- Correlation and regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between COD and color removal.
- First-order removal rate kinetics were applied to evaluate degradation rates.
Main Results:
- All three bacterial strains demonstrated significant removal of COD and color, with maximum efficiency observed within 48-72 hours.
- Bacillus cereus exhibited the highest removal efficiencies, achieving 81% for COD and 75% for color.
- Immobilized cells showed comparable or slightly improved removal efficiencies compared to free cells.
- A strong positive correlation (r = 0.99) was found between COD and color removal, indicating a linked degradation process.
Conclusions:
- The studied bacterial strains, particularly Bacillus cereus, are effective agents for the bioremediation of distillery wastewater.
- Immobilization techniques can enhance or maintain the efficiency of bacterial degradation processes.
- The strong correlation between COD and color removal suggests a common degradation pathway for these pollutants.
- The findings support the application of microbial consortia for sustainable distillery wastewater treatment.