Kinetics of microbial growth on mixtures of pentachlorophenol and chlorinated aromatic compounds

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Abstract
Batch experiments were conducted to examine the effects of several substrate analogs on the degradation of pentachlorophenol by an enrichment culture of pentachlorophenol‐utilizing bacteria. The presence of substrate analogs which were unable to serve as a carbon source for growth of the culture (e.g., 3,5,6,‐trichloro‐2‐pyridinol, 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) decreased the rate of pentachlorophenol degradation. The presence of a utilizable substrate analog (e.g., phenol, 2,4,5‐trichlorophenol) also inhibited the initial rate of pentachlorophenol degradation; however, the overall removal rate was accelerated due to an increase in cell mass concentration as a result of simultaneous growth on both substrates. These effects were shown to be predicted by a mathematical model based on a modified Monod equation. Kinetic parameters obtained from the results of laboratory studies can be used for further process analysis to define the optimal conditions for the biological treatment of complex mixtures of phenolic compounds.