COLOR ELIMINATION FROM MOLASSES WASTE-WATER BY ASPERGILLUS-NIGER

Color elimination by Aspergillus niger from wastewater fr om molasses alcoholic fermentation was studied. The influences of the nutrient con centrations, initial pH and carbon source on this color elimination we re analyzed. It worked in a discontinuous process in shaken cultures a nd in a continuous process in a bubble reactor: During the batch proce ss, through all experiments the maximal color elimination was attained after 3 or 4 days in the culture. Batch processes showed a maximal co lor elimination of 69% when MgSO4, KH2PO4, NH4NO3 and a carbon source were added to the wastewater: The continuous process, with the same nu trient concentrations, showed less color removal and the decolorizatio n activity was maintained for only 4 days. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.