Spray drying as effective encapsulation method for phenol degrading bacteria

Abstract

Encapsulated microorganisms are potential candidates for treatment of recalcitrant and persistent toxic compounds in wastewater and agriculture. Though extensive investigations have been done on bacteria with ability to degrade toxic phenolics, there is no product available for efficient removal of phenolic compounds from waste effluents. The present study aims at preparation of encapsulated microorganisms for the treatment of waste water containing phenol. <i>Acinetobacter seifertii</i> and <i>Bacillus pumilus</i> were the organisms used for effective degradation of phenol. Various encapsulation methods have been tried. Among the different carrier materials used, corn starch was found to be the best material with long shelf life. Spray drying and freeze drying were the two methods adopted for encapsulation. Based on cell viability, spray drying was found to be an effective method compared to freeze drying. <i>A. seifertii</i> could degrade phenol completely with in 12 h while <i>B. pumilus</i> degraded phenol completely within 24 h.