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Aerobic biodegradation of dinitrotoluenes in batch systems by pure and mixed cultures

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Abstract

Biodegradation characteristics of 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrotoluenes (DNTs) individually by pure strains and defined mixed cultures obtained from a mixed culture isolated from a slate packed bed bioreactor is described. Batch degradation experiments were carried out with free cells in submerged cultivations. The degradation rate and efficiency of five best individual bacterial strains, bacterial consortia comprising three and five of these strains, and the complete mixed culture were evaluated and compared. All the strains showed ability to degrade both the DNTs. All but one strain degraded both DNTs at the same rate. The degradation rate as well as the degradation efficiency by the mixed cultures was higher than that by the individual strains. The complete mixed culture showed 15–20× higher degradation rate than the individual bacterial strains.

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Abbreviations

BSM:

basal salt medium

DNT(s):

dinitrotoluene(s)

PBR:

packed bed reactor

q S :

degradation rate

RE:

degradation efficiency

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fermentation Chemistry and Bioengineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, 166 28, Prague, Czechia

    J. Páca, M. Halecký & T. Hudcová

  2. Chemical Engineering Department, University of Louisiana, P.O. Box 44130, Lafayette, USA

    R. Bajpai

Authors
  1. J. Páca
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  2. M. Halecký
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  3. T. Hudcová
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  4. R. Bajpai
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Correspondence to J. Páca.

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Páca, J., Halecký, M., Hudcová, T. et al. Aerobic biodegradation of dinitrotoluenes in batch systems by pure and mixed cultures. Folia Microbiol 53, 105–109 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-008-0015-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-008-0015-0

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