Effect of pH on growth of mixed cultures in batch reactor

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Abstract
This work has studied the effect of pH on specific growth rate μ, yield factor Y, and specific substrate consumption rate U for two mixed microbial populations (sludge A and B) in a batch reactor with a limiting substrate (phenol). The mathematical analysis of μ and U as a function of pH has been applied not only to the results of the present work but also to other published data. On the basis of the results obtained, the following remarks can be made: (a) The effect of pH on bacterial activity differed for the two sludges; (b) variations in pH of one unit more or less than optimum pH can give rise to appreciable variations in μ and U; and (c) with regard to the mixed populations used in this study, the μ or U and pH data for the range investigated can be suitably described by a parabolic relation.