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Title:	A comparison of the biodegradation of nitrobenzene, 1-butanol, and 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid using a municipal mixed liquor and three commercial bacterial preparations
Author:	Salerno, Salvatore P.
View Online:	njit-etd1984-032 (xiii, 281 pages ~ 5.7 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Chemical Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Lewandowski, Gordon (Committee chair) Armenante, Piero M. (Committee member) Baltzis, Basil (Committee member)
Date:	1984-09
Keywords:	Biodegradation Organic compounds Sewage -- Purification -- Biological treatment
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	The biological degradation of nitrobenzene, 1-butanol, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was studied in aerated 6 liter batch reactors using activated sludge from the Livingston, NJ wastewater treatment plant-- by itself and in a 10:1 by volume mixture with each of three commercial bacterial preparations: Hydrobac, BI-CHEM DC-1006/7, and Liquid Live Microorganisms (LLMO). Air stripping and adsorption were determined to be insignificant removal mechanisms for the three compounds studied. None of the bacterial mixtures were able to degrade 10 ppm nitrobenzene to any significant extent. A small but noticeable improvement in degradation rates occurred when the Livingston sludge was mixed with the commercial preparations in a 10:1 volume ratio. However, such a ratio would be economically impractical. At the manufacturer's recommended ratio of 106:1, the mixture would behave like the Livingston sludge alone.