title: Scale up of diesel oil biodegradation in a baffled roller bioreactor.
abstract: Diesel oil is a suitable substance to represent petroleum contamination from accidental spills in operating and transportation facilities. Using a microbial culture enriched from a petroleum contaminated soil, biodegradation of diesel oil was carried out in 2.2, 55, and 220 L roller baffled bioreactors. The effects of bioreactor rotation speed (from 5 to 45 rpm) and liquid loading (from 18% to 73% of total volume) on the biodegradation of diesel oil were studied. In the small scale bioreactor (2.2L), the maximum rotation speed of 45 rpm resulted in the highest biodegradation rate with a first order biodegradation kinetic constant of 0.095 d(-1). In the larger scale bioreactors, rotation speed did not affect the biodegradation rate. Liquid loadings higher than 64% resulted in reduced biodegradation rates in the small scale bioreactor; however, in the larger roller bioreactors liquid loading did not affect the biodegradation rate. Biodegradation of diesel oil at 5 rpm and 73% loading is recommended for operating large scale roller baffled bioreactors. Under these conditions, high diesel oil concentrations up to 50 gL(-1) can be bioremediated at a rate of 1.61 gL(-1)d(-1).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Sahand City, PO Box 51335/1996, Tabriz, Iran. hon282@mail.usask.ca
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nikakhtari
authors.forename: Wanning
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Pardeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nemati
authors.forename: Gordon A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D005742:Gasoline; D007700:Kinetics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005742:Gasoline; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical