Biodegradation of cyanide compounds by a Pseudomonas species (S1)

A Pseudomonas sp. (S1), isolated from soil by an enrichment technique was t ested for its potential to degrade different cyanide compounds. Further, bi odegradation/biotransformation of binary mixtures of the cyanide compounds by the culture was also studied. The results indicated that the culture cou ld grow on the following nitriles by using them as carbon and nitrogen sour ces: acetonitrile, butyronitrile, acrylonitrile, adiponitrile, benzonitrile , glutaronitrile, phenylacetonitrile, and succinonitrile. Studies on the bi odegradation of these cyanide compounds in binary mixtures showed that the presence of acrylonitrile or KCN delayed the degradation of acetonitrile in a mixture, while none of the other cyanide compounds affected the degradat ion of one another. The transformation products of the nitriles were their corresponding acids, and similarly, KCN was also directly transformed to fo rmic acid. Studies on the transformation of these cyanide compounds showed that the rate of transformation of nitriles to their corresponding carboxyl ic acids was acrylonitrile > acetonitrile > adiponitrile > benzonitrile > K CN. This culture has the unique characteristic of transforming representati ves of saturated aliphatic, aliphatic olefinic, aromatic, and aralkyl nitri les, as well as alkali cyanide, to their corresponding carboxylic acids.