Biodegradation is the breakdown of a compound by a biological organism. Over the past few decades, the biodegradation of compounds such as phenol has been researched extensively. Phenol research has shown that certain organisms are capable of utilising it as an energy source, and a variety of methods are available for its removal. Unfortunately, there is lack of research on phenol degradation at low concentrations. The majority of research performed on phenol degradation has used concentrations above 500 mg, while phenol is highly toxic at levels below 25 mg. The aim of this research was to pursue the problem of phenol degradation at below 100 mg and develop a system able to degrade phenol at such levels. The system consisted of a bioreactor developed to run in continuous mode, using Ps. putida immobilised in calcium alginate. A standard method was modified to quantitatively analyze effluent phenol levels, and a medium designed to increase the longevity of calcium alginate beads in continuous culture. A continuous flow bioreactor was also designed using an overflow weir for use with immobilised cells. Based on the results obtained, immobilisation offers increased stability and increased protection for cells under extreme conditions and is able to use higher dilution rates than cells under continuous culture / Master of Science (Hons)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/235901 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Mordocco, Angela Maria, University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, Faculty of Business and Technology |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Source | THESIS_FBT_XXX_Mordocco_A.xml |
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