Abstract

Biodegradation of phenol using Pseudomonas pictorum (ATCC 23328) a potential biodegradant of phenol was investigated under different operating conditions. Chitin was chosen as a support material and then partially characterized physically and chemically.The pH of the solution was varied over a range of 7 – 9. The maximum adsorption and degradation capacity of bacteria immobilized with chitin at 30^oC when the phenol concentration was 0.200 mg/L is at pH 7.0. The results showed that the equilibrium data for all phenol-degradation sorbent systems fitted the Langmuir, Freundlich andRedlich-Peterson model best. Kinetic modeling of phenol degradation was done using the pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order rate expression. The biodegradation data generally fit the intraparticle diffusion rate equation from which biodegradation rate constant, diffusion rate constant were determined.

Key words: Adsorption, biodegradation, phenol, Pseudomonas pictorum, isotherm and kinetic studies.