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Biodegradation of Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) by Two Different Bacterial Consortia

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Abstract

Two bacterial consortia capable of degrading SLES were isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. The two consortia consisted of three members, Acinetobacter calcoacetiacus and Klebsiella oxytoca in one co-culture (A-K) and Serratia odorifera in the second co-culture (S-A), which contains Acinetobacter calcoacetiacus as well. In all experiments, cells were grown on SLES (1000–7000 ppm) containing the M9 minimal medium as sole carbon source. The co-culture A-K demonstrated a higher growth rate (0.26 h−1) and significant greater viability than that of the co-culture S-A (0.21 h−1). Glucose, sucrose, maltose, mannitol, and succinic acid as carbon sources produced the same degradation rate (∼100 ppm/h) and enhanced the SLES degradation rate by 3-fold upon the control (without an added carbon source). In the case of the co-culture S-A, the situation was different; all the carbon sources being tested except maltose caused a repression in the degradation ability in a range between 25–100%. Maltose causes an enhancement by almost fivefold, compared with the positive control.

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  1. Department of Biology, Mutah University, Mutah , 61710, Karak, Jordan

    Khaled M. Khleifat

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  1. Khaled M. Khleifat
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Correspondence to Khaled M. Khleifat.

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Khleifat, K.M. Biodegradation of Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) by Two Different Bacterial Consortia. Curr Microbiol 53, 444–448 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-006-0266-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-006-0266-4

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