Abstract
Studies were carried out using a soil perfusion apparatus for the removal of lignin from waste water. It was observed that when a medium (pH 7.0) with lignin having about 1200 color units was perfused through a soil column, perfusate contained only 250 to 300 color units after three days of perfusion and pH was reduced to less than 5.0 with 70 to 80% reduction in Total Organic Carbon (TOC). With a sterile soil column the color was not removed and there was no change in TOC content. When the medium was buffered at pH 7.0, there was no reduction in color units. When the pH of the perfusate reduced to less than 5.0, it was also observed that the nitrate content had increased considerably. These results indicated that due to microbial activity lignin molecules might have been biotransformed and adsorbed on the soil column at lower pH. The major group of microorganisms were also isolated from the soil and their significance is discussed in this paper.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ander, P. and Eriksson, K.: 1978, Progress in Industrial Microbiology 14, 1.
APHA, AW WA, WPCF: 1971, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water, 13th edition.
Britt, K. W.: 1964, Handbook of Pulp & Paper Technology, Reinhold Publishing Corporation, New York.
Collins, F. M. and Sims, C. M.: 1956, Nature 178, 473.
Crawford, R. L., Crawford, D. L., and Dizakes, G. J.: 1981, Arch. Micrrobial. 129, 204.
EPA: 1974, Development Document for Effuent Limitations Guidelines and New Sources Performance Standards fr the Unbleached Kraft and Semi-Mechanical Pulp Segment of the Pulp and Paper Board Mills, EPA-440 11-74-025, No. 6, 86.
Haider, K. and Trojanowski, J.: 1980, in T. K. Kirk, Hm. Chang, and T. Higuchi, (eds.), Lignin Biodegradation: Microbiology Chemistry and Application, Vol. I, 111 CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., U.S.A.
ISI Standards: 1983, Quality Tolerance for Water for Pulp and Paper Industry, IS-2724-1983.
Kawakami, H.: 1980, in T. K. Kirk, Hm. Chang, and T. Higuchi, (eds.), Lignin Biodegradation: Microbiology, Chemistry and Application, Vol. 11, 103, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., U.S.A.
Kirk, T. K.: 1981, in Ekman Days 1981, International Symposium on Wood and Pulping Chemistry, Stockholm.
Kirk, T. K., Connors, W. J., and Zeikus, J. G.: 1977, Recent Advance in Phytochemistry, Vol. II, p. 369.
Subrahmanyam, P.V.R.: 1982, in Proceedings of the National Workshop on Microbial Degradation of Industrial Wastes, February 23–27, 1981, NEERI, Nagpur, India.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Joshi, S.R., Dutta, S.A. Studies on lignin removal by soil perfusion technique. Water Air Soil Pollut 36, 1–8 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00450615
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00450615