Continuous aerobic phenol degradation by defined mixed immobilized culture in packed bed reactors.

A defined mixed culture of Pseudomonas putida, Commamonas testosteroni and Candida tropicalis was immobilized by adsorption on polyurethane foam, cocoa-fibers, expanded slate and sintered glass. Packed bed reactors were used for long-term continuous phenol biodegradations. Loading experiments were done to study the impact of the following parameters: (1) hydraulic retention time, (2) dissolved oxygen concentration, and (3) elimination of the oxygen limitation. After the acclimation period (approximately 10 d), the loading test with the individual packings showed the following maximum degradation rates: sintered glass 34, polyurethane foam 12, expanded slate 11.5, and cocoa-fibers 7.7 kg m(-3) d(-1). All these values were reached at a removal efficiency >99 % and with oxygen in excess. Under these conditions, the pH of the diluted unbuffered medium in the reactor effluent was 3.2-4.0 and no incompletely oxidized metabolic intermediates were found. The free cell concentration in the effluent increased after the phenol overloading time period.