Recycling of starch processing industrial wastewater as a sole nutrient source for the bioflocculant production

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae strain NJ7 was isolated and screened for the production of bioflocculant and used for the flocculation of starch processing industrial wastewater (SPIW). The bioflocculant had the ability to reduce 41% chemical oxygen demand and 90% turbidity, from the SPIW. The strain is capable of utilizing the bioflocculated nutrient rich SPIW as a sole source for the bioflocculant production with doubled yield as compared to its conventional production medium. The parameters influencing bioflocculant production were optimized using Taguchi's orthogonal array (OA) experiments which suggested that 85.79% flocculation and 111.67 (mg/100 mL) bioflocculant yield could be achieved when 80% of SPIW inoculated with K. pneumoniae strain NJ7 at 30°C for 24 h at 120 rpm. This is the first report on bioflocculant production by K. pneumoniae using wastewater, without any additives and its statistical optimization (Taguchi's OA). The concept of statistical optimization and the use of wastewater lead to bioflocculant production cost effective. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 1458–1465, 2017