Modelling and simulation of steady-state phenol degradation in a pulsed plate bioreactor with immobilised cells of Nocardia hydrocarbonoxydans

Abstract

A novel bioreactor called pulsed plate bioreactor (PPBR) with cell immobilised glass particles in the interplate spaces was used for continuous aerobic biodegradation of phenol present in wastewater. A mathematical model consisting of mass balance equations and accounting for simultaneous external film mass transfer, internal diffusion and reaction is presented to describe the steady-state degradation of phenol by Nocardia hydrocarbonoxydans (Nch.) in this bioreactor. The growth of Nch. on phenol was found to follow Haldane substrate inhibition model. The biokinetic parameters at a temperature of 30 ± 1 °C and pH at 7.0 ± 0.1 are μ (m) = 0.5397 h(-1), K (S) = 6.445 mg/L and K (I) = 855.7 mg/L. The mathematical model was able to predict the reactor performance, with a maximum error of 2% between the predicted and experimental percentage degradations of phenol. The biofilm internal diffusion rate was found to be the slowest step in biodegradation of phenol in a PPBR.

Pathway identification, enzyme activity and kinetic study for the biodegradation of phenol by Nocardia hydrocarbonoxydans NCIM 2386

“…Nocardia hydrocarbonoxydans NCIM 2386 has been reported to effectively degrade phenol in batch and continuous flow systems, both as free cells and in immobilized form [7,8]. The pathway for phenol degradation by N. hydrocarbonoxydans NCIM 2386 has not been reported yet.…”

“…The trend of the plot shows substrate inhibition by phenol. Shetty et al [8] showed that the rate equation for growth of N. hydrocarbonoxydans followed Haldane model when ammonium nitrate was used as a nitrogen source and hence the rate of phenol degradation was also reported to follow the same model with the maximum growth rate (μ max ) for this microorganism for its growth on phenol being replaced with v max = μ max /Y x/s , where v max is the maximum rate of phenol degradation and Y x/s is the yield coefficient in mg biomass produced/mg phenol consumed. In the presently reported work, where peptone was used as a nitrogen source, Haldane model did not fit well though substrate inhibition was observed.…”

“…Shetty and V.K. Shetty / Desalination and Water Treatment used as a sole source of carbon and in the absence of peptone, with ammonium nitrate as the source of nitrogen [8]. The current paper aims at proposing the pathway for phenol degradation and kinetics of phenol and catechol disappearance by the action of N. hydrocarbonoxydans NCIM 2386.…”

“…(2015) [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] www.deswater.com doi: 10.1080/19443994.2015.1030700 beginning of the twentieth century [4]. These microorganisms with special capability to degrade phenol can be exploited in biological treatment plants for efficient degradation of phenols present in wastewaters.…”

Mathematical modeling of biofilm‐covered granular activated carbon: a review

“…To sum up, the above two cases25, 35 reflected the difficulty and limitations of assuming biofilm homogeneity in BGAC modeling. Therefore, biofilm in most BGAC studies was assumed to be a homogeneous phase, even for those developed on other support materials other than GAC 33, 36…”