Aerobic biodegradation of dinitrotoluenes in batch systems by pure and mixed cultures.

Biodegradation characteristics of 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrotoluenes (DNTs) individually by pure strains and defined mixed cultures obtained from a mixed culture isolated from a slate packed bed bioreactor is described. Batch degradation experiments were carried out with free cells in submerged cultivations. The degradation rate and efficiency of five best individual bacterial strains, bacterial consortia comprising three and five of these strains, and the complete mixed culture were evaluated and compared. All the strains showed ability to degrade both the DNTs. All but one strain degraded both DNTs at the same rate. The degradation rate as well as the degradation efficiency by the mixed cultures was higher than that by the individual strains. The complete mixed culture showed 15-20 x higher degradation rate than the individual bacterial strains.