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Role of cometabolism in biological oxidation of synthetic compounds
Author(s) -
Venkataramani E. S.,
Ahlert R. C.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260270906
Subject(s) - cometabolism , biodegradation , chemistry , wastewater , substrate (aquarium) , bioreactor , environmental chemistry , population , bacteria , organic chemistry , environmental engineering , biology , ecology , environmental science , bioremediation , demography , sociology , genetics
A significant portion of the total biodegradative activity toward synthetic compounds may involve cometabolism; thus, the latter represents an important type of microbial process. A mixed microbial population acclimated to highstrength industrial wastewater degraded about 90% of the organic carbon present in the wastewater. A reasonable agreement in the carbon balance provided clear evidence for the biodegradability of residual organic species. Based on the growth expression of Haldane to account for substrate inhibition, a substrate utilization model to quantify the role of cometabolism coupled with cellular maintenance is proposed. The kinetic parameters of the model have been estimated from experimental data. If the maintenance values are assumed negligible, as has been observed for wastewater systems, it is possible to quantify the magnitude of co‐metabolism encountered in the biological oxidation of synthetic organic compounds.