CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOFLOCCULANT PRODUCED BY BACILLUS SP. DP-152

A strain (designated DP-152) which produces an excellent flocculating substance was isolated from soil samples and identified as Bacillus sp ecies. The major flocculating substance (bioflocculant DP-152) produce d by Bacillus sp. DP-152 was purified by ethanol precipitation and cet ylpyridinium chloride (CPC) precipitation and gel permeation chromatog raphy. In kaolin suspension, the highest flocculating activity was obt ained at the bioflocculant concentration of 1 mg/l. The bioflocculant DP-152, which has an estimated molecular weight of over 2 x 10(6) dalt ons, is a novel bioflocculant derived from sugar components consisting of glucose, mannose, galactose, and fucose in an approximate molar ra tio of 8:4:2:1. Some of its physico-chemical properties were also dete rmined.