Title: Evaluation of microbial systems for biotreatment of cassava mill waste water in Nigeria: biodegradation of cyanide

Authors: Samuel E. Agarry; Chiedu N. Owabor

Addresses: Biochemical Engineering and Environmental Biotechnology Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria ' Department of Chemical Engineering University of Benin, Benin-City, Nigeria

Abstract: The capability of six isolated bacterial strains to utilise cyanide in cassava mill wastewater as a nitrogen source in a batch bioreactor was examined and evaluated. The results revealed that all the isolates were capable of degrading cyanide with percent degradation between 60 and 94% in 96 h. There was high positive correlation between cyanide biodegradation and microbial growth (0.90 ≤ R² ≤ 0.97). The Monod kinetic model adequately described the dynamic behaviour of cyanide degradation by the different bacterial isolates. Thus, the study revealed the possibility of using the bacterial isolates in the biotreatment of cyanide waste effluents.

Keywords: cassava mill wastewater; bacterial isolates; bioremediation; cyanide removal; Monod kinetic modelling; microbial systems; biotreatment; Nigeria; cyanide biodegradation; wastewater treatment; nitrogen source; batch bioreactors; microbial growth; effluent treatment; cyanide waste.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2012.050771

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2012 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.315 - 323

Accepted: 27 Dec 2011
Published online: 31 Dec 2014 *

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