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Heavy gas oil biodesulfurization by Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 4277: optimized culture medium composition and evaluation of low‐cost alternative media
Author(s) -
Porto Bruna,
Maass Danielle,
Oliveira José Vladimir,
de Oliveira Débora,
Yamamoto Carlos Itsuo,
Ulson de Souza Antônio Augusto,
Ulson de Souza Selene Maria Arruda Guelli
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.5244
Subject(s) - flue gas desulfurization , sulfur , chemistry , bioprocess , rhodococcus , food science , waste management , pulp and paper industry , organic chemistry , biology , paleontology , engineering , enzyme
BACKGROUND The presence of sulfur in oils causes losses in the refining process and occasions the emission of toxic gases during fuel combustion. Biodesulfurization (BDS) is a bioprocess where some bacteria selectively remove sulfur from heterocyclic compounds. However, there are some limitations to BDS industrial application such as the high costs of the nutritional medium compounds. Previous studies with Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 4277 strain showed that the carbon and nitrogen concentration in culture medium significantly affected heavy gas oil (HGO) desulfurization. The aim of this present work was to optimize the nutritional medium in order to reduce the costs associated with medium formulation. The replacement of a synthetic medium by waste (cassava waste) and byproducts ( trub ) was also evaluated. RESULTS Rhodococcus erythropolis ATCC 4277 desulfurization capacity was improved by diminishing carbon source concentration from the synthetic nutritional medium. Both trub and cassava waste led to a high desulfurization rate. About 70% of sulfur compounds were removed to the three media tested, achieving a maximum desulfurization rate of 5.0×10 3 mg sulphur kg −1 HGO h −1 . CONCLUSION The use of an optimized nutritional medium, cassava wastewater and trub can provide an improved methodology for BDS making potential applications in industry feasible. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry