Oxidation of an inhibitory substrate by washed cells (oxidation of phenol by Pseudomonas putida)

The specific uptake rate of phenol by washed cells of Pseudomonas putida grown on phenol in steady-state continuous culture at various dilution rates was studied. The Monod-Haldane-type equation was applied to fit the data and the best kinetic parameters were determined by nonlinear least-squares techniques. The values of the kinetic parameters were found to increase monotonically with the phenol concentration in the original chemostat. The relations between the values of kinetic parameters and phenol concentration in the chemostat were described by empirical equations. Then the equation governing the instant uptake of phenol by microorganisms in chemostat in the high conversion range of phenol was proposed. This equation together with the mass balance equations can be used to determine the stability range of continuous stirred tank biochemical reactors (CSTBR) utilizing phenol.