Abstract
ABSTRACT
The biodegradation potential of an aerobic microbial process for p-nitrophenol (PNP) biodegradation was evaluated for Lasagna™ soil remediation technology. A unique, flow-through test cell was designed to pass controlled levels of PNP through an aerated biozone containing Pseudomonas putida PNP1 immobilized on a porous nylon biocarrier. Chemical-loading studies and kinetic analyses determined a pseudo first-order rate constant of 0.036 min−1 and a half-life of 19.1 min for PNP in the biozone. Microbial respiration, measured as resting oxygen uptake (Ou) and glucose-specific Ou, established the relationships between cell numbers, oxygen consumption, and biodegradation of PNP. These results provide the fundamental understanding needed to predict performance of this aerobic bioprocess under optimal conditions and show the aerobic microbial bioprocess, if properly implemented and supported, has a high capacity for chemical degradation and should support most applications of Lasagna™ soil remediation technology for remediation of PNP contaminated soils.
Key words: Microbial; biodegradation; p-nitrophenol; kinetics; biocarrier; Lasagna™
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.