title: Biodegradation of phenol and m-cresol by Candida albicans PDY-07 under anaerobic condition.
abstract: Strain Candida albicans PDY-07 was used to study the anaerobic biodegradation of phenol and m-cresol as single and dual substrates in batch cultures. The strain had a higher potential to degrade phenol than m-cresol. The cell growth kinetics of batch cultures with various initial m-cresol concentrations was investigated, and the Haldane kinetic model adequately described the dynamic behavior of cell growth on m-cresol. When cells grew on the mixture of phenol and m-cresol, substrate interactions were observed. Phenol inhibited the utilization of m-cresol; on the other hand, m-cresol also inhibited the degradation of phenol. However, the presence of low-concentration phenol enhanced m-cresol biodegradation; 100 mg/l m-cresol could be completely degraded within a shorter period of time than m-cresol alone in the presence of 150-300 mg/l phenol. The maximum m-cresol biodegradation rate was obtained at the existence of 200 mg/l phenol. Phenol was preferably utilized by the strain as a carbon and energy source. In addition, a sum kinetics model was used to describe the cell growth behavior in binary mixture of phenol and m-cresol, and the interaction parameters were determined. The model adequately predicted the growth kinetics and the interaction between the substrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guoying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chunsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu