Immobilization of Bacillus sp. in mesoporous activated carbon for degradation of sulphonated phenolic compound in wastewater

Xenobiotic compounds are used in considerable quantities in leather industries besides natural organic and inorganic compounds. These compounds resist biological degradation and thus they remain in the treated wastewater in the unaltered molecular configurations. Immobilization of organisms in carrier matrices protects them from shock load application and from the toxicity of chemicals in bulk liquid phase. Mesoporous activated carbon (MAC) has been considered in the present study as the carrier matrix for the immobilization of Bacillus sp. isolated from Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) employed for the treatment of wastewater containing sulphonated phenolic (SP) compounds. Temperature, pH, concentration, particle size and mass of MAC were observed to influence the immobilization behavior of Bacillus sp. The percentage immobilization of Bacillus sp. was the maximum at pH 7.0, temperature 20 °C and at particle size 300 μm. Enthalpy, free energy and entropy of immobilization were − 46.9 kJ mol− 1, − 1.19 kJ mol− 1 and − 161.36 J K− 1 mol− 1 respectively at pH 7.0, temperature 20 °C and particle size 300 μm. Higher values of ΔH0 indicate the firm bonding of the Bacillus sp. in MAC. Degradation of aqueous sulphonated phenolic compound by Bacillus sp. immobilized in MAC followed pseudo first order rate kinetics with rate constant 1.12 × 10− 2 min− 1.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Degradation on phenolic syntan using immobilized activated carbon as catalyst. ► Bacillus sp. immobilized cell reactor removed all refractory organic loads. ► The removal mechanism is due to co-metabolism between carbon and organisms. ► The organics are completely metabolized rather than adsorption.