Abstract
We conducted a laboratory study at 10 °C on the biological decontamination of the waste water from a garage and car-wash that was contaminated with anionic surfactants (57 mg l−1) and fuel oil (184 mg hydrocarbons l−1). The indigenous microorganisms degraded both contaminants efficiently after biostimu- lation by an inorganic nutrient supply. After 7 days at 10 °C, the residual contaminations were 11 mg anionic surfactants l−1 and 26 mg hydrocarbons l−1. After 35 days, only the anionic surfactants had been further reduced to 3 mg l−1. Bioaugmentation of the unfertilized waste water with a cold-adapted inoculum, able to degrade both hydrocarbons (diesel oil) and anionic surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulphate), resulted in a significant increase of the hydrocarbon biodegradation during the first 3 days of decontamination, whereas biodegradation of anionic surfactants was inhibited during the first 21 days following inoculation. Bioaugmentation of the nutrient-amended waste water was without any effect.
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Received: 14 November 1997 / Accepted: 29 November 1997
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Margesin, R., Schinner, F. Low-temperature bioremediation of a waste water contaminated with anionic surfactants and fuel oil. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 49, 482–486 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002530051202
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002530051202