KunduDebasree, HazraChinmay, ChaudhariAmbalal
Sep 1, 2016
Citations
0
Influential Citations
2
Citations
Journal
Environmental Engineering Science
Abstract
Abstract 4-Nitrotoluene (4-NT) is widely used as a basic chemical for the manufacturing of a variety of intermediates, and exposure to this compound can cause environmental and health hazards. Bacterial transformation of 4-NT is often limited due to the presence of nitro group and substrate inhibition. The aim of this study was to optimize the biodegradation of 4-NT and specific growth rate of Rhodococcus pyridinivorans NT2 using Plackett-Burman and response surface methodology design of experiments. Of the process variables screened, 4-NT, MgSO4.7H2O, temperature, and inoculum size (OD) were selected as the most important (p < 0.05) factors. On the basis of central composite design, optimum conditions for 4-NT degradation were as follows: 480 mg/L 4-NT, 0.11 g/L MgSO4.7H2O, 37.5°C temperature, and 1.05 OD inoculum size. Under these culture conditions, an overall 1.20-fold increase in degradation was achieved with a 36 h reduction in total biodegradation time than that obtained at the unoptimized settings...