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Use of bacterial biosurfactants as natural collectors in the dissolved air flotation process for the treatment of oily industrial effluent

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the separation of oil from water using a bench-scale DAF prototype with the addition of biosurfactants isolated from Pseudomonas cepacia CCT6659 and Bacillus cereus UCP1615. The best operating conditions for the DAF prototype were determined using a central composite rotatable design. The results demonstrated that the biosurfactants from P. cepacia and B. cereus increased the oil separation efficiency from 53.74% (using only microbubbles) to 94.11 and 80.01%, respectively. The prediction models for both DAF-biosurfactant systems were validated, showing an increase in the efficiency of the DAF process from 53.74% to 98.55 and 70.87% using the formulated biosurfactants from P. cepacia and B. cereus, respectively. The biosurfactant from P. cepacia was selected as the more promising product and used for the treatment of oily effluent from a thermoelectric plant, achieving removal rates ranging between 75.74 (isolated biosurfactant) and 95.70% (formulated biosurfactant), respectively.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Foundation for the Support of Science and Technology of the State of Pernambuco (FACEPE), the Research and Development Program from National Agency of Electrical Energy (ANEEL), the Thermoelectric Company of Candeias (Global Group) code PD-06961-0005/2016, the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level Education Personnel (CAPES). The authors are grateful to the laboratories of the Centre for Sciences and Technology of the Catholic University of Pernambuco, Brazil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, 52171900, Brazil

    Elias J. Silva

  2. Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Rua do Príncipe, n. 526, Boa Vista, Recife, Pernambuco, 50070-280, Brazil

    Darne G. Almeida, Juliana M. Luna, Raquel D. Rufino, Valdemir A. Santos & Leonie A. Sarubbo

  3. Advanced Institute of Technology and Innovation (IATI), Rua Joaquim de Brito, n.216, Boa Vista, Recife, Pernambuco, 50070-090, Brazil

    Darne G. Almeida, Juliana M. Luna, Raquel D. Rufino, Valdemir A. Santos & Leonie A. Sarubbo

Authors
  1. Elias J. Silva
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  2. Darne G. Almeida
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  3. Juliana M. Luna
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  4. Raquel D. Rufino
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  5. Valdemir A. Santos
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  6. Leonie A. Sarubbo
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Correspondence to Leonie A. Sarubbo.

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Silva, E.J., Almeida, D.G., Luna, J.M. et al. Use of bacterial biosurfactants as natural collectors in the dissolved air flotation process for the treatment of oily industrial effluent. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 41, 1599–1610 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-018-1986-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-018-1986-0

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