Degradation of 4-Chlorophenol by a Moderately Halophilic Bacterial Consortium under Saline Conditions

Aims: To investigate the degradation of 4-chlorophenol by a moderately halophilic bacterial consortium and to study the effect of nitrogen sources on the degradation of 4- chlorophenol.
Study Design: 4-chlorophenol degradation by moderate halophiles.
Place and Duration of Study: Centre for Environmental studies, Microbiology Lab, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, between Jan 2009 and May 2009.
Methodology: 4-chlorophenol was degraded with the moderately halophilic bacterial consortium in the minerals salts medium and degradation was analysed by gas chromatography. Effect of NaCl concentrations and alternate nitrogen sources on the degradation of 4-chlorophenol was determined.
Results: The bacterial consortium was able to degrade 4-Chlorophenol at a range of NaCl concentrations, where the optimum degradation was obtained at 50 g/L of NaCl. Addition of alternate nitrogen sources like tryptone and urea did not enhance the degradation of 4-Chlorophenol.
Conclusion: Bacterial consortium degraded 4-chlorophenol at optimum NaCl concentration of 50 g/L of NaCl. Addition of yeast extract as nitrogen source showed higher degradation than the nitrogen sources.