title: Biodegradation of p-cresol by aerobic granules in sequencing batch reactor.
abstract: The cultivation of aerobic granules in sequencing batch reactor for the biodegradation of p-cresol was studied. The reactor was started with 100 mg/L of p-cresol. Aerobic granules first appeared within one month of start up. The granules were large and strong and had a compact structure. The diameter of stable granules was in the range of 1-5 mm. The integrity coefficient and granules density was found to be 96% and 1046 kg/m3, respectively. The settling velocity of granules was found to be in the range of 2x10(-2)-6x10(-2) m/sec. The aerobic granules were able to degrade p-cresol upto 800 mg/L at a removal efficiency of 88%. Specific p-cresol degradation rate in aerobic granules followed Haldane model for substrate inhibition. High specific p-cresol degradation rate up to 0.96 g p-cresol/(g VSS x day) were sustained upto p-cresol concentration of 400 mg/L. Higher removal efficiency, good settling characteristics of aerobic granules, makes sequencing batch reactor suitable for enhancing the microorganism potential for biodegradation of inhibitory compounds.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Engineering Section, Department of Civil Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202 002, India. farrukhbasheer@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Farrukh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basheer
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Farooqi
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D003408:Cresols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003408:Cresols; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C032538:4-cresol