BIODEGRADATION OF SUGARCANE VINASSES BY THE WHITE-ROT FUNGI Pleurotus ostreatus IN A PACKED BED REACTOR

Abstract

Sugarcane vinasses are considered a complex effluent because of its organic load, low pH, high temperature, and by the presence of recalcitrant substances such as melanoidins and phenolic compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus to carry out the biodegradation of sugarcane vinasses in a fixed-bed bioreactor. The experiments evidence the potential of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus to carry out the decolorization (83%), the removal of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD=87%) and the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5=92%), the reduction of total suspended solids (83%) and volatile suspended solids (72%) of vinasses. The technical simplicity of the proposed alternative as well as process performance reveals the potential of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus for the treatment of sugarcane mill effluents.