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Biodegradation of an inhibitory nongrowth substrate (nitroglycerin) in batch reactors
Author(s) -
Pesari Harish,
Grasso Domenic
Publication year - 1993
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.260410111
Subject(s) - biodegradation , anoxic waters , chemistry , bioreactor , cometabolism , aeration , wastewater , substrate (aquarium) , activated sludge , environmental chemistry , degradation (telecommunications) , enrichment culture , pulp and paper industry , chromatography , environmental engineering , bacteria , contamination , environmental science , bioremediation , organic chemistry , biology , ecology , telecommunications , computer science , engineering , genetics
Biodegradation of nitroglycerin (NG), an inhibitory, nongrowth substrate present in a multicomponent munition wastewater, was investigated in a pilot‐scale batch reactor operated with both aerobic and anoxic cycles. A mixed culture was initially acclimated by gradual introduction of NG into influent and subsequently exposed to actual NG‐laden production wastewater. System performance revealed that NG was amenable to aerobic biodegradation without adverse impact on removal efficiencies of other pollutants. Temporal NG concentration profiles indicated that an influent concentration of approximately 200 mg/L of NG was reduced to below detection limits in less than 5 h of aeration with no appreciable (<4%) biosorption. Failure of NG‐acclimated cultures to utilize NG as a sole carbon source in bench‐scale reactors suggested that NG behaved as a non‐growth substrate and its degradation possibly occurred by cometabolism. Ethyl acetate present in the waste stream was an adequate growth substrate in terms of both biological and physicochemical properties. High concentrations of NO 3 ‐N, produced as a result of aerobic degradation of NG and other nitrogenous compounds of the waste, were treated in an anoxic phase. Approximately 95 mg/L of NO 3 ‐N was denitrified to below detection limits in 5 h of anoxia without the addition of external carbon sources. Two SRB cycle schemes with different static‐fill times exhibited significant differences in treatment efficiencies. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.