Ar. Shibu et al., A bioprocess for the remediation of anaerobically digested molasses spentwash from biogas plant and simultaneous production of lactic acid, BIOPROC ENG, 20(4), 1999, pp. 337-341
A bacterial isolate LAB-1 identified as Lactobacillus casei was cultivated
in a fermentation medium containing biogas plant effluent. This effluent wa
s generated after anaerobic digestion of molasses spentwash in biogas ferme
nters. In the bioremediation process of this very dark coloured effluent th
rough the cultivation of L. casei, decrease in effluent's colour of 49 and
52% and reduction in COD level up to 54 and 57% were achieved using bacteri
al cells in free and immobilised system, respectively, in 5 days batch cult
ivation. During this process of bioremediation, a metabolite lactic acid wa
s produced by this bacterial isolate with the yield of 10.9 and 11.3 mg/ml,
in free and immobilised cells fermentation, respectively.