Study of kinetics of degradation of cyclohexane carboxylic acid by acclimated activated sludge

Abstract

Activated sludge contains complex microorganisms, which are highly effective biodegrading agents. In this study, the kinetics of biodegradation of cyclohexane carboxylic acid (CHCA) by an acclimated aerobic activated sludge were investigated. The results showed that after 180 days of acclimation, the activated sludge could steadily degrade >90% of the CHCA in 120 h. The degradation of CHCA by the acclimated activated sludge could be modeled using a first-order kinetics equation. The equations for the degradation kinetics for different initial CHCA concentrations were also obtained. The kinetics constant, kd, decreased with an increase in the CHCA concentration, indicating that, at high concentrations, CHCA had an inhibiting effect on the microorganisms in the activated sludge. The effects of pH on the degradation kinetics of CHCA were also investigated. The results showed that a pH of 10 afforded the highest degradation rate, indicating that basic conditions significantly promoted the degradation of CHCA. Moreover, it was found that the degradation efficiency for CHCA increased with an increase in temperature and concentration of dissolved oxygen under the experimental conditions.