Styrene degradation in a polyurethane biofilter inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. IS-3

Abstract

In a search for bacteria capable of degrading styrene better than previously isolated strains, bacterium IS-3 was isolated from activated sludge and found to be most closely related to Pseudomonas sp. Styrene degradation by this strain was tested in liquid cultures and polyurethane-packed biofilters. In liquid cultures, the rate of styrene degradation by this bacterium increased from 24.93 to 76.53 μmol g-1 DCW h-1 for an initial mass range from 8.7 to 34.8 μmol. The maximum styrene elimination capacity was 580-635 g/m3·h at a space velocity (SV) of 50-200/h. The critical elimination capacities guaranteeing 95% removal of the input styrene were determined to be 635, 170, and 38 g/ m3·h, respectively, at SVs of 50, 100, and 200/h. Kinetic analysis revealed that the maximum styrene elimination velocity (Vm) for this biofilter was 1,000 g/m·h, and the saturation constant (Km) was 454 ppmv. Together, these results suggest that a polyurethane biofilter containing Pseudomonas sp. IS-3 could have potential practical applications for the effective removal of styrene gas. © The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology.