Biodegradation of Bisphenol A in a saline industrial wastewater using Alcaligenes faecalis strain BPAN5

A large portion of petrochemical wastewaters are classified as high total dissolved solids, containing bisphenol A (BPA) which makes them resistant to conventional degradation processes. In this work, a halotolerant bacterial isolate, Alcaligenes faecalis strain BPAN5 was isolated and used for biodegradation of BPA. Effect of operational parameters including initial seed size (5-20 mL), nitrogen source, salinity (2%-3.5%) and BPA concentrations (10-60 mg/L) on BPA removal was investigated. Results showed that the addition of NH4Cl in the culture medium led to the highest BPA biodegradation rate and bacterial growth. The most BPA removal of 100% and 96% were observed for the initial seed size of 15 mL and salinity of 2% for BPA concentrations of 10 and 20 mg/L, respectively. The main metabolites of BPA biodegradation were chlorobenzene, chlorothymol, hexadecanoic acid and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-phenylphenol. Also, the biodegradability of effluent reached 69% while the toxicity decreased to 7%. Findings of current work indicated the significant ability of Alcaligenes faecalis strain BPAN5 for biodegradation of BPA in a saline medium.