Performance Characterization of a Laboratory-Scale Bioreactor with Liquid Suspensions of Alcaligenes Eutrophus JMP134

Abstract

ABSTRACT Trichloroethylene (TCE) was degraded in a single-stage, continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) bioreactor containing pure cultures of liquid-dispersed Alcali genes eutrophus JMP134. Phenol was supplied as the sole source of carbon and energy for induction of catabolic activities. Operating conditions were varied in a series of randomly ordered experiments. The independent variables were influent TCE concentration, influent phenol concentration, and hydraulic residence time. The dependent variable was the percent of influent TCE degraded or degradation efficiency. The highest degradation efficiency observed was 98.6%. An empirical equation was fitted to the data in the form of degradation efficiency as a function of the three independent variables. A close match was achieved between the equation and the data. This equation is valid only where the phenol was oxidized below the level of detection in the effluent (150 μg/L). This equation is useful for bioreactor design and operation. Hydraulic res...