SORPTION ISOTHERMS AND KINETICS IN THE PRIMARY BIODEGRADATION OF ANIONIC SURFACTANTS BY IMMOBILIZED BACTERIA - II - COMAMONAS TERRIGENA N3H

Comamonas terrigena N3H was immobilized by covalent linking on silaniz ed inorganic supports and by physical entrapment of cells within calci um alginate beads and reticulated polyurethane foam. Both entrapped ce lls were efficient for the primary biodegradation of the anionic surfa ctants dihexyl sulphosuccinate (DHSS) and dioctyl sulphosuccinate (DOS S), furthermore, exhibiting, in the case of polyurethane immobilized c ells, a positive fractionating effect of the substrate by adsorption o nto the polymer matrix. The overall kinetics for the surfactant remova l from water were well-fitted to a biphasic process, a rapid passive s orption step of the surfactant onto the cell-loaded support and the in trinsic primary biodegradation slower step, both acting synergically. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.