Immobilization of a microbial consortium on Ca-alginate enhances degradation of cationic surfactants in flasks and bioreactor

BERGERO, M.F.; LIFFOURRENA, A.S.; OPIZZO, B.A.; FOCHESATTO, A.S.; LUCCHESI G.I.

INTERNATIONAL BIODETERIORATION & BIODEGRADATION

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017 vol. 117 p. 39 - 44

0964-8305

Free cells and Ca-alginate encapsulated cells of Aeromonas hydrophila MFB03 removed in shake flasks upto 65% of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) 30 mg l1. While planktonic cells were unableto utilize 50 mg l1 benzalkonium chloride (BAC) after 48 h of incubation, the immobilized cells ofA. hydrophila MFB03 removed up to 90% of BAC (25e210 mg l1) in the same period. A microbialimmobilized consortium formed by A. hydrophila MFB03 and Pseudomonas putida A (ATCC 12633) wasable to degrade, after 24e30 h, 65% of TTAB and 100% of BAC, both added at 50 mg l1. BAC wascompletely removed by the consortium encapsulated in a stirred tank bioreactor at 30 C, 100 rpm and0.024 g beads ml1 of medium, after 12 h of incubation; reaching a degradation rate five times greaterthan the one obtained in shake flasks (0.415 vs. 0.089 mg1 h1, respectively). The system completelyremoved, with the same efficiency, 50 mg l1 of BAC for 3 consecutive cycles. These results indicate thatthe use of Ca-alginate beads containing cells of the consortium can be considered a proper method toachieve degradation of cationic surfactants.