Nitrifying Bioreactors Integrated into Shrimp and Prawn Hatchery Systems: Molecular Characterization of the Nitrifying Consortia,Reactor Kinetics, Modeling and Validation

National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Development of bioreactors for nitrifying sewage

Nitrification is the biological oxidation of ammonium, first to nitrite and then to nitrate by two groups of aerobic, chemolithotrophic bacteria belonging to the family Nitrobacteriaceae. The biological nitrification in municipal wastewater treatment is important in those cases were ammonia removal requirement specially exist. In a trickling filter or in an activated sludge system nitrification is rate limiting and thus necessitates longer detention time. The combined carbon oxidation-nitrification processes generally have low population of nitrifiers due to a high ratio of BOD to total nitrogen in the effluent. This necessitates, separate carbon and nitrogen oxidation processes, which thus minimizes wash out ofthe nitrifiers. Therefore, a separate stage nitrification has become essential to achieve faster and efficient removal of ammonia from the wastewater. The present work deals with the development of bio reactor for nitrifying of sewage as the tertiary process so that the treated wastewater can be used for irrigation, algal culture or fish culture

Oxidation kinetics of nickel nano crystallites obtained by controlled thermolysis of diaquabis(ethylenediamine) nickel(II) nitrate

The metal complex, [Ni(en)2(H2O)2](NO3)2 (en = ethylenediamine), was decomposed in a static furnace at 200 C by autogenous decomposition to obtain phase pure metallic nickel nanocrystallites. The nickel metal thus obtained was studied by XRD, IR spectra, SEM and CHN analysis. The nickel crystallites are in the nanometer range as indicated by XRD studies. The IR spectral studies and CHN analyses show that the surface is covered with a nitrogen containing species. Thermogravimetric mass gain shows that the product purity is high (93%). The formed nickel is stable and resistant to oxidation up to 350 C probably due to the coverage of nitrogen containing species. Activation energy for the oxidation of the prepared nickel nanocrystallites was determined by non-isothermal methods and was found to depend on the conversion ratio. The oxidation kinetics of the nickel crystallites obeyed a Johnson–Mehl–Avrami mechanism probably due to the special morphology and crystallite strain present on the metal.

Kinetics of Bacterial Colony Growth by Laser Induced Fluorescence

The growth kinetics of an aerial bacterial colony on solid agar media was studied using laser induced fluorescence technique. Fluorescence quenching of Rhodamin B by the bacterial colony was utilized for the study. The lag phase, log phase, and stationary phase of growth curve of bacterial colony was identified by measuring peak fluorescence intensity of dye doped bacterial colony.

Polyphenolic Compounds Liberated during Coir Retting in a Bio-reactor: Separation, Characterisation and Possible Applications

School of environmental studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Glucoamylase immobilized on montmorillonite: influence of nature of binding on surface properties of clay-support and activity of enzyme

Glucoamylase was immobilized on acid activated montmorillonite clay via two different procedures namely adsorption and covalent binding. The immobilized enzymes were characterized by XRD, NMR and N2 adsorption measurements and the activity of immobilized glucoamylase for starch hydrolysis was determined in a batch reactor. XRD shows intercalation of enzyme into the clay matrix during both immobilization procedures. Intercalation occurs via the side chains of the amino acid residues, the entire polypeptide backbone being situated at the periphery of the clay matrix. 27Al NMR studies revealed the different nature of interaction of enzyme with the support for both immobilization techniques. N2 adsorption measurements indicated a sharp drop in surface area and pore volume for the covalently bound glucoamylase that suggested severe pore blockage. Activity studies were performed in a batch reactor. The adsorbed and covalently bound glucoamylase retained 49% and 66% activity of the free enzyme respectively. They showed enhanced pH and thermal stabilities. The immobilized enzymes also followed Michaelis–Menten kinetics. Km was greater than the free enzyme that was attributed to an effect of immobilization. The immobilized preparations demonstrated increased reusability as well as storage stability.

Fixed bed reactor performance of invertase immobilized on montmorillonite

Invertase was immobilized on acid activated montmorillonite via two independent procedures, adsorption and covalent binding. The immobilized enzymes were characterized by XRD, NMR and N2 adsorption measurements and their activity was tested in a fixed bed reactor. XRD revealed that the enzyme was situated on the periphery of the clay and the side chains of different amino acid residues were involved in intercalation with the clay matrix. NMR demonstrated that tetrahedral Al was linked to the enzyme during adsorption and the octahedral Al was involved during covalent binding. Secondary interaction of the enzyme with Al was also observed. N2 adsorption studies showed that covalent binding of enzymes caused pore blockage since the highly polymeric species were located at the pore entrance. The fixed bed reactor proved to be efficient for the immobilized invertase. The optimum pH and pH stability improved upon immobilization. The kinetic parameters calculated also showed an enhanced efficiency of the immobilized systems. They could be used continuously for long period. Covalently bound invertase demonstrated greater operational stability.

Glucoamylase immobilized on montmorillonite: Synthesis, characterization and starch hydrolysis activity in a fixed bed reactor

Glucoamylase from Aspergillus Niger was immobilized on montmorillonite clay (K-10) by two procedures, adsorption and covalent binding. The immobilized enzymes were characterized using XRD, surface area measurements and 27Al MAS NMR and the activity of the immobilized enzymes for starch hydrolysis was tested in a fixed bed reactor (FBR). XRD shows that enzyme intercalates into the inter-lamellar space of the clay matrix with a layer expansion up to 2.25 nm. Covalently bound glucoamylase demonstrates a sharp decrease in surface area and pore volume that suggests binding of the enzyme at the pore entrance. NMR studies reveal the involvement of octahedral and tetrahedral Al during immobilization. The performance characteristics in FBR were evaluated. Effectiveness factor (η) for FBR is greater than unity demonstrating that activity of enzyme is more than that of the free enzyme. The Michaelis constant (Km) for covalently bound glucoamylase was lower than that for free enzyme, i.e., the affinity for substrate improves upon immobilization. This shows that diffusional effects are completely eliminated in the FBR. Both immobilized systems showed almost 100% initial activity after 96 h of continuous operation. Covalent binding demonstrated better operational stability.

Anaerobic Reactor Development for Complex Organic Wastewater

Faculty of Engineering. Cochin University of Science and Technology

On the crystallization kinetics and micro-structural transformations of Fe40Ni38B18Mo4 alloys

Activation energy for crystallization (Ec) is a pertinent parameter that decides the application potential of many metallic glasses and is proportional to the crystallization temperature. Higher crystallization temperatures are desirable for soft magnetic applications, while lower values for data storage purposes. In this investigation, from the heating rate dependence of peak crystallization temperature Tp, the Ec values have been evaluated by three different methods for metglas 2826 MB (Fe40Ni38B18Mo4) accurately. The Ec values are correlated with the morphological changes, and the structural evolution associated with annealing temperatures is discussed.

Culture and growth kinetics of selected nanoplankters

The present study on naoplankton is based on the isolation and development of unialgai culturas from the inshore waters at Cochin. characterization of their growth assimilation products. ecophysioiogy and evaluation of nutritional quality. The work was carried out during the period 1980-1983. The nanoplankters were isolated and grown in the labratory as batch cultures to study the increase in cell population, the photosynthetic pigment: ana physioiogical activity. The chemical composition of these organisms and their rate of excretion were also determined. The environmental factors physical and chemical that influence the growth of these Cultures were defined by conducting independentexperiments. These cultures of the isolated nanoplankters have raised indoor and fed to the larvae of edible oyster to test their suitability as live-food.

Kinetics and mechanism of urea - formaldehyde and related reactions

Urea-formaldehyde resins find numerous applications in adhesive, textile finishing and moulded plastic industries. Kinetic investigations of the reactions of urea and its related compounds with formaldehyde in aqueous acid, alkaline and neutral media have been carried out. A thin—layer chromatographic method was developed for the separation and estimation of the products of these reactions. Using this technique the various initial steps in the reactions were analysed and the rate constants have been determined.

Continuous production of L-glutaminase by an immobilized marine Pseudomonas sp BTMS-51 in a packed bed reactor

A marine Pseudomonas sp BTMS-51, immobilized by Ca-alginate gel entrapment was used for the production of extracellular Lglutaminase under repeated batch process and continuous process employing a packed bed reactor (PBR). Immobilized cells could produce an average of 25 U/ml of enzyme over 20 cycles of repeated batch operation and did not show any decline in production upon reuse. The enzyme yield correlated well with the biomass content in the beads. Continuous production of the enzyme in PBR was studied at different substrate concentrations and dilution rates. In general, the volumetric productivity increased with increased dilution rate and substrate concentrations and the substrate conversion efficiency declined. The PBR operated under conditions giving maximal substrate conversion efficiency gave an average yield of 21.07 U/ml and an average productivity of 13.49 U/ml/h. The system could be operated for 120 h without any decline in productivity