PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A CA-ALGINATE BIOCATALYST FOR REMOVAL OF PHENOL AND CHLOROPHENOLS FROM WASTEWATERS

The production of a Ca-alginate/Pseudomonas fluorescens biocatalyst, f or the removal of phenol, chlorophenol, dichlorophenol, and trichlorop henol from wastewaters was studied. Rheological characterization (befo re and after heat treatment) of the Na-alginate solution was carried o ut. The effect of some operational parameters of production including air pressure, alginate solution concentration, feed rate, and alginate /cells ratio, on the size and quality of the spheres wa!; evaluated. I n addition, a study of the biocatalyst including the quantity of cells entrapped into the alginate spheres, the apparent and real catalyst d ensities, the humidity and the epsilon void fraction was carried out t ogether with a kinetic characterization of the Ca-alginate spheres thr ough a first order expression. Finally, an assessment of the catalyst in the biodegradation of phenol, mono, di-, and trichlorophenol at med ium-high concentrations (1000, 500, 400 and 100 mg l(-1)) is presented and discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Lid. All rights reserved.