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Enhanced degradation of petrol (Slovene diesel) in an aqueous system by immobilized Pseudomonas fluorescens
Author(s) -
Wilson N. G.,
Bradley G.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1996.tb03195.x
Subject(s) - pseudomonas fluorescens , diesel fuel , biodegradation , chemistry , laboratory flask , aqueous solution , degradation (telecommunications) , aqueous two phase system , chromatography , pseudomonas , bacteria , biology , organic chemistry , telecommunications , genetics , computer science
The rate of degradation of n ‐alkanes C 12 ‐C 18 , in petrol (Slovene diesel) in an aqueous system, by free and immobilized Pseudomonas fluorescens in shaking flasks was investigated. Cells were immobilized to a biosupport, Biofix, and a biosorbant, Drizit. Analysis of cellular growth of the free and immobilized bacteria over 8 d of incubation with diesel as the sole carbon source, showed a reduction in the lag phase in the immobilized cultures in comparison to the free system. The free system degraded 52·3% of C 12 and 11·6% of C 13 , but C 14 ‐C 18 were not degraded. In comparison to the free system and diesel which had not been exposed to experimental conditions (unexposed), the immobilized systems degraded significantly more of C 13 ‐C 18 . Biofix‐immobilized cells degraded 14·8% of C 12 and an average of 53·5% of C 13 ‐C 18 . Drizit‐immobilized cells degraded 24·5% of C 12 , 52·4% of C 13 and an average of 91·2% of C 14 ‐C 18 . This study shows the successful use of immobilized bacteria technology to enhance the degradation of diesel in an aqueous system.