Removal of phosphorus from oyster farm mud sediment using a photosyntheticbacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides IL106

Removal of phosphorous compounds from the mud sediment of an oyster farm wa s carried out by a series of bio-processes under anaerobic conditions. Anae robic acidogenic fermentation of a mud sediment suspension (200 g wet wt/l artificial sea water) was initially carried out. With the addition of vitam ins such as thiamine, nicotinic acid and biotin, acidogenic fermentation wa s enhanced to yield acetic acid of approximately 2 g/l. Furthermore, approx imately 20 mg/l of PO43- (10% Of total phosphorus on mud weight) and 5300 m g/l of CODCr (82% of organic matter on mud weight) were released into the c ulture broth after fermentation for 7 d. The supernatant of this culture br oth was used to cultivate Rhodobacter sphaeroides IL106, a denitrifying pho tosynthetic bacterium. After 4 d, 3.32 g/l of biomass containing carotenoid and ubiquinone was obtained, and CODCr and acetic acid were reduced by 58% and 72%, respectively. In addition, PO43- was reduced by 97%, suggesting t hat the removal of PO43- from the mad sediment might be possible by combini ng anaerobic acidogenic fermentation with R. sphaeroides cultivation.