Kinetics of biodegradation of phenol and a polyphenolic compound by a mixed culture containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

Biological degradation of phenolic compounds by a mixed bacterial culture was investigated. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis were the two strains used in the study. pH and the temperature for the growth of bacteria was found to be 70.2 and 372 o C, respectively. The mixed microbial culture was able to degrade 250 mgl -1 of phenol and wattle completely within 36 and 48 hours, respectively. The growth kinetics of the mixed culture was also investigated over a wide range of initial concentrations of phenol and wattle by using Haldane's model. The Haldane growth kinetic model adequately described the degradation of phenolic compounds by the mixed microbial culture. Both phenol and wattle were found to inhibitory compounds. The decay coefficient for the growth of microbial culture on phenol and wattle was found to be 0.0069 and 0.0082 h -1 , respectively.