IMPROVEMENTS IN PROCESSES FOR THE ALKALINE BIODEGRADATION OF ORGANIC IMPURITIES.

摘要

In a process for biodegrading under highly alkaline conditions organics in a waste stream derived from a Bayer processing system for producing aluminum oxides, i) the waste stream being typical of oxalate waste streams resulting from alkaline treatment of bauxite, the oxalate waste streams being rich in oxalates, formates, acetates, benzoates and sodium ions and having a pH in excess of 8, ii) treating the highly alkaline waste stream to neutralize and thereby lower pH and to reduce sodium ion concentration prior to introducing the waste stream into a bioreactor, iii) biodegrading the oxalates in the bioreactor by use of Pseudomonas genus microorganisms, and iv) discharging at least a portion of the biodegraded waste stream, the improvement being characterized by: a) introducing the highly alkaline waste stream rich in sodium ions to the bioreactor to avoid the treatment of step ii), b) biodegrading the organics in the waste stream with the Pseudomonas genus microorganisms characterized by ATCC 53883 deposited microorganism and its derivatives which are functionally biologically equivalent to ATCC 53883, and c) wherein the biodegradation of organics, degrades in addition to the oxalates in the waste stream, the acetates, the formates and the benzoates to yield the biodegraded waste stream.