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The Biodegradation of 4-Chlorophenol in a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor Using Response Surface Methodology: Effect of Biogenic Substrate and Kinetic Evaluation

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Abstract

4-Chlorophenol (4-CP) is a persistent organic pollutant commonly found in petrochemical effluents. It causes toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects on human beings and aquatic lives. Therefore, an environmentally benign and cost-effective approach is needed against such pollutants. In this direction, the chlorophenol degrading bacterial consortium consisting of Bacillus flexus GS1 IIT (BHU) and Bacillus cereus GS2 IIT (BHU) was isolated from a refinery site. A composite biocarrier namely polypropylene-polyurethane foam (PP-PUF) was developed for bacterial cells immobilization purpose. A lab-scale moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) packed with Bacillus sp. immobilized PP-PUF biocarrier was employed to analyse the effect of peptone on biodegradation of 4-CP. The statistical tool, i.e. response surface methodology (RSM), was used to optimize the process variables (4-CP concentration, peptone concentration and hydraulic retention time). The higher values of peptone concentration and hydraulic retention time were found to be favourable for maximum removal of 4-CP. At the optimized process conditions, the maximum removals of 4-CP and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were obtained to be 91.07 and 75.29%, respectively. In addition, three kinetic models, i.e. second-order, Monod and modified Stover-Kincannon models, were employed to investigate the behaviour of MBBR during 4-CP biodegradation. The high regression coefficients obtained by the second-order and modified Stover-Kincannon models showed better accuracy for estimating substrate degradation kinetics. The phytotoxicity study supported that the Vigna radiata seeds germinated in treated wastewater showed higher growth (i.e. radicle and plumule) than the untreated wastewater.

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Acknowledgements

The author (Ganesh Swain) is gratefully acknowledged the Ministry of Human Resource of Development, MHRD (India), for granting financial support and Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi, India, for providing laboratory facility to carry out the research work. The author has also acknowledged the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration, SPARC (India), for their immense cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering & Technology IIT (BHU), Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, 221005, India

    Ganesh Swain, Kanhaiya Lal Maurya, Mohit Kumar, R. K. Sonwani, R. S. Singh, Ravi P. Jaiswal & Birendra Nath Rai

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  1. Ganesh Swain
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  2. Kanhaiya Lal Maurya
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  3. Mohit Kumar
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  4. R. K. Sonwani
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  7. Birendra Nath Rai
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Contributions

Ganesh Swain—methodology, data curation, writing (original draft).

Kanhaiya Lal Maurya—conceptualization, methodology, software.

Mohit Kumar—methodology, writing (original draft).

R.K. Sonwani—writing (review and editing).

R.S. Singh—supervision.

Ravi P. Jaiswal—investigation, formal analysis.

Birendra Nath Rai—supervision, visualization.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Birendra Nath Rai.

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Swain, G., Maurya, K.L., Kumar, M. et al. The Biodegradation of 4-Chlorophenol in a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor Using Response Surface Methodology: Effect of Biogenic Substrate and Kinetic Evaluation. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 195, 5280–5298 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-022-03954-0

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