[Kinetic principles of the process of formaldehyde biodegradation]

The kinetics of formaldehyde biodegradation by Pseudomonas fluorescens was studied under the conditions of batch cultivation. The process was shown to depend on the substrate, biomass and metabolites concentrations. Their combined action is satisfactorily described by the equation (formula; see text) where Vmax = 3.23 g/g/h, Ks = 2.52 g/l and Kx = 10.2 g/l. The equation is adequate as was demonstrated in experiments in which the organism was cultivated under the continuous conditions on the formaldehyde-containing sewage from the production of antibiotics.