Comparative study on physico-chemical parameters on biodegradation of phenol by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCIM 2074) and Pseudomonas desmolyticum (NCIM 2028)

Phenols are one of many commonly occurring organic pollutants in the environment.These compounds are stable and even at low concentrations they may be toxic towards living organisms and cause unfavorable chemical changes in waters and soils. Among others, biotechnological methods are applied for their removal. The biodegradation of phenol by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCIM 2074) and Pseudomonas desmolyticum (NCIM 2028), potential biodegradents have been investigated for its degrading potential under different operating conditions. It was found that the degrading potential of P. aeruginosa and P. desmolyticum was strongly affected by the variations in pH, inoculum size, temperature and carbon (glucose) source. Optimum conditions of the variables for the growth of P. aeruginosa and P. desmolyticum and for maximum biodegradation of phenol are pH (7,6), inoculum size (5% v/v, 4% v/v), temperature (32C, 32C) and carbon (0.5 g/l, 0.5 g/l) respectively. These results are useful to understand the physiological and biochemical properties of P. aeruginosa and P. desmolyticum before its optimum use in environmental application and these data will assist in choosing the right phenol degrader for a changeable environment.