Use of Microbes for Black Liquor Clarification

 

Gaikwad Bhaskar G.1*, Magdum Anagha G.2

1C.E. Division, National  Chemical  Laboratory, Pune-411008, India

2Y.M.College, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Kothrud

*Corresponding Author E-mail: bg.gaikwad@ncl.res.in

 

ABSTRACT:

Effluent from pulp and paper industry called as black liquor (BL). Black liquor contains salts and organic material. It is dark coloured and hazardous in nature. Precipitation of black liquor (BL) was studied. Different concentrations of hydrochloric acid attempted. 0.73, 1.46, 1.82, 2.19, 2.55, 2.92 % HCl was used. Precipitation observed. pH, residue amount and decolorization were studied. 2.55, 2.92% HCl were able to precipitate the black liquor (BL) to a maximum level. pH of the supernatant was 6.0 and 5.0 respectively. We have studied biodegradation of this undiluted black liquor at different pH 5 and 6. Different bacterial and yeast cultures were used for screening. 18 cultures used for biodegradation of black liquor at pH 6.0. Cell concentration was 2.5% (wet weight basis). 80% black liquor used. Biodegradation was carried out at 280C for 24h under shaking condition. Candida utilis NCIM 3055 has shown 9.81% decolorization. We have used pH 5.0 for screening at 280C for 24h under shaking condition. 21 cultures were used for screening. Among the 21 cultures, Pseudomonas putida NCIM 2205, Pseudomonas testosteronii NCIM 5099 and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis NCIM 3455 have shown 27.74, 37.74 and 24.57% decolorization. Pseudomonas testosteronii NCIM 5099  has shown maximum decolorization. It has produced clear liquid after treatment.

 

KEYWORDS: Pollution, black liquor, growth, decolorization, yeast, bacteria etc.

 

 


INTRODUCTION:

Effluent from pulp and paper industry is colored and toxic. It is called as sulphite waste liquor or black liquor. It should be treated to get a clear solution. It has done by chemical treatment and microbial treatment. A single method is not useful to solve this problem. The combination of both chemical and microbial method is used for solving this problem. Many researchers have reported a study on this [Kumar et al. (2014)1, Tyagi et al. (2014)2, Negrao et al. (2015)3, Hooda et al. (2015)4, etc.]. In this paper, we have studied treatment of black liquor by the chemical method and microbial method.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Chemicals and Cultures:

Chemicals from Hi-Media, Mumbai and S.D. Fine Chemicals, Mumbai were used for an experiment. Cultures brought from NCIM (National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms), Pune.

 

Growth:

Bacterial cultures  maintained on Nutrient –agar medium (beef extract 10, NaCl 5, peptone 10 g/L, pH 7.0, agar 20g/L.) at 40C. Yeast cultures maintained on MGYP-agar (Malt extract 0.3, glucose 1, yeast extract 0.3 and Peptone 0.5 %,  pH adjusted to 6.5. 2.0% agar used).  Bacterial cultures were grown in nutrient broth. Yeast cultures were grown in MGYP. Pre inoculum used for growth. Growth was carried out at 280C, 220 rpm for 24h. Cells were centrifuged and used for the study.

 

Analysis:

Colour was measured at 465nm [Chandra and Abhishek (2011)5]

 

Biodegradation:

Biodegradation of 80% BL was done using 2.5% cells. It was done at 280C, 220 rpm for 24 h. Colour was determined. BL of pH 6.0 and 5.0 used in the study.

 

Experimental

We have precipitated black liquor and solution obtained after separating precipitate used for biodegradation.

Precipitation of Black liquor

 

Table 1:  Precipitation of undiluted BL: pH of supernatant

HCl  conc. (%)

pH

0

11.39

0.73

10.5

1.46

9.6

1.82

9.13

2.19

8.0

2.55

6.0

2.92

5.0

 

Undiluted black liquor was taken. Diluted HCl added. It mixed well and kept for 1h at 280C for 1h without shaking. Centrifuged it and supernatant analysed. The residue weighed. pH has shown in table 1. Effect of HCl concentration on precipitation and decolorization plotted in figure 1.

 

Figure 1:  Effect of HCl concentration on precipitation and decolorization

 

Biodegradation of BL at pH 6.0

18 cultures (bacterial and yeast) used for the study. Biodegradation of 80% BL pH 6.0 was done using 2.5% cells. Biodegradation carried out at 280C, 220 rpm for 24 h. Colour was determined.         

Biodegradation of BL at pH 5.0

 

21 cultures (bacterial and yeast) were used for the study. Biodegradation of 80% BL was done at pH 5.0 using 2.5% cells. The reaction was carried out at 280C, 220 rpm for 24 h. Colour was determined. Results are in table 2. The comparison has shown in figure 2. 

 

Figure 2: Comparison of results of best cultures.

A= Pseudomonus putida NCIM 2205, B= Pseudomonus testosteronii NCIM 5099,

C= Sacchromyces carlsbergensis NCIM 3455

 

Table 2: Biodegradation of black liquor (BL) at pH 5.0

Cultures

NCIM no.

Biodegradation  (%) 

Alcaligenes  sp.

5085

0

Arthrobacter  viscosus

2451

7.27

Candida shethiae

3500

20.61

Candida magnoliae

3470

0

Candida utilis

3055

11.81

Escherichia coli

2569

12.71

Escherichia coli

2067

16.81

Pacchysolan tannophilus

3504

19.29

Pseudomonas fluorescens

5101

3.5

Pseudomonas  fluorescence

5100

9.31

Pseudomonas oleovoran

2867

22.45

Pseudomonas putida

2205

27.74

Pseudomonas resinovoran

2599

23.03

Pseudomonas solarisolan

5103

8.33

Pseudomonas sp.

2304

7.35

Pseudomonas sp.

2667

19.91

Pseudomonas syringae

5102

19.54

Pseudomonas testosteronii

5099

37.74

Pseudomonas testosteronii

5098

18.32

Sacchromyces carlsbergensis

3455

24.57

Sacchromyces cerevisiae

3077

2.45

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

As HCl concentration increased, pH decreased (table 1). As HCl concentration increased precipitation and decolorization increased (figure 1). pH caused precipitation of salts and lignin which in turn reduced colour. At certain point, precipitation reached maximum level. The amount of HCl may vary batch to batch because every batch has its own characteristics. We have used pH 6 and 5 for the screening of cultures for biodegradation of black liquor. At pH 6 (2.55% HCl), colour changed from dark black to dark brown. 18 cultures  used at pH 6.0. One culture (Candida utilis NCIM 3055) has shown 9.81 % decolorization. This indicated that some inhibitory components were in excess which inhibited most of the cultures. At pH 5.0 (2.92% HCl), we got brown colour (table 1). 21 cultures  used for screening at pH 5.0. Pseudomonas  putida 2205, Pseudomonas testosteronii 5099, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis NCIM 3455 have shown 27.74, 37.74, 24.57% decolorization respectively (table 2). Results of best cultures are compared in figure 2. All have shown clear liquid. Pseudomonas testosteronii NCIM 5099 has shown maximum 37.74% decolorization. Colour of black liquor  reduced significantly. Therefore, it is the best culture.

 

A bacterial mixture of Klebsiella sp., Alcaligens sp., Cronobactor sp. was able to decolourise pulp and paper industry effluent to 55% in 14h [Kumar et al. (2014)1]. 64.3% decolorization of black liquor reported by Tomar and Mittal (2014)6 where they used Aspergillus niger. Liu et al. (2014)7 studied biodegradation of black liquor. They used acid for precipitation of BL. They observed 85.07% anaerobic biodegradation in upflow sludge bed reactor. Rajwar and Rai (2015)8 observed 73% decolorization of BL using mixed fungal cultures. Yadav and Chandra (2015)9 studied biodegradation of lignin. They observed 80% reduction in colour of paper mill wastewater using the mixed culture of Bacillus subtilis GU 193980 and Klebsiella pneumonia GU 193981. Decolorization of kraft liquor was studied by Fonseca et al. (2015)10. They used laccase from Phlebia brevispora BAFC 633. Biodegradation of pulp and paper effluent was studied by Hooda et al. (2015)4. They observed 47% decolorization by Brevibacillus agri RJH-1. 

 

CONCLUSION:

Precipitation of BL was done. 2.55, 2.92 % HCl were able to precipitate maximum level.  Biodegradation of BL studied at pH 6.0, 5.0. 21 cultures used for screening at pH 5.0. Pseudomonas putida 2205; Pseudomonas testosteronii 5099; Sacchromyces carlsbergensis NCIM 3455 have shown 27.74, 37.74, 24.57% decolorization respectively. All have shown clear liquid. Pseudomonas testosteronii  NCIM 5099 has shown   maximum decolorization. Colour of black liquor reduced significantly. Therefore, it is the best culture.

 

REFERENCE:

1.        Kumar V, Dhall P, Naithani S, Kumar A and Kumar R. Biological approach for the treatment of pulp and paper industry effluent in sequence batch reactor. J Bioremed Biodeg 5(3); 2014: 1-10.

2.        Tyagi S, Kumar V, Singh J, Teotia P, Bisht S and Sharma S. Bioremediation of pulp and paper mill effluent by dominant aboriginal microbes and their consortium. Int. J. Environ. Res. 8(3); 2014: 561-568.

3.        Negrao DR, Sain M, Leaoo AL, Sameni J, Jeng R, de Jesus JPF and Monteiro RTR.   Fragmentation of lignin from organosolv black liquor by white rot fungi. BioResources 10(1); 2015: 21pp.

4.        Hooda R, Bhardwaj NK and Singh P. Screening and identification of ligninolytic bacteria for the treatment of pulp and paper mill effluent. Water Air Soil Pollut 226; 2015: 305.

5.        Chandra R and Abhishek A. Bacterial decolorization of black liquor in axenic and mixed condition and characterization of metabolites. Biodegradation 22; 2011: 603–611.

6.        Tomar P and Mittal P. Bioremediation of paper industry effluent from fungal strain. Trends in Biosciences 7(21); 2014: 3437-3441.

7.        Liu GR, Ma YW and Wan JQ. Efficiency of anaerobic treatment of acid-precipitated black liquor. Zhongguo Zaozhi 33(10); 2014: 1-9.[Accession Number 2015: 1246558 CAPLUS].

8.        Rajwar D and Rai JPN. Kraft black liquor decolorization by fungi isolated from contaminated pulp and paper mill sludge. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research  6(12); 2015: pp. 7770-7775.

9.        Yadav S and Chandra R. Syntrophic co-culture of Bacillus subtilis and Klebsiella pneumonia for degradation of kraft lignin discharged from rayon grade pulp industry. Journal of Environmental Sciences 33; 2015: 229-238.

10.     Fonseca MI, Farina JI, Sadanoski MA, D’Errico R, Villalba LL and Zapata PD.  Decolorization of Kraft liquor effluents and biochemical characterization of laccases from Phlebia brevispora BAFC 633. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation 104; 2015: 443-451.

 

 

 

Received on 17.03.2016         Modified on 04.04.2016

Accepted on 30.04.2016         © AJRC All right reserved

Asian J. Research Chem. 9(4): April, 2016; Page 182-184

DOI: 10.5958/0974-4150.2016.00029.8