Abstract

Bio-decolorization kinetic studies of distillery effluent in a batch culture were conducted using Aspergillus fumigatus. A simple model was proposed using the Logistic Equation for the growth, Leudeking-Piret kinetics for bio-decolorization, and also for substrate utilization. The proposed models appeared to provide a suitable description for each parameter devoted to the growth phase. The biomass yield for 14 g/l substrate was 70.7%. The maximum specific growth rate (µ_m) of the obtained and fitted data is close to the calculated µ_m of the present research work ( ). It was found that the kinetic model for the bio-decolorization of distillery effluent was growth associated.

Key words: Bio-decolorization, kinetic models, distillery effluent, Logistic Equation, leudeking-Piret kinetics.

Abbreviation

ms, Maintenance coefficient (g substrate/g cells); P, biodecolorization responsible enzyme (metabolite) (g/l); S, substrate concentration (g/l); S0,           initial substrate concentra-tion (g/l); T, biodecolorization time (h); X, cell concentration (g/l); Xm, maximum cell concentration (g/l);  , yield factor for cells on carbon substrate (g cells/ g substrate); , growth-associated product formation coefficient (g/g);  ,       non-growth-associated product formation coefficient (g/g.h); and , maximum specific growth rate (h-1).