Optimization and application of bacterial consortia for enhanced bioremediation of dairy industry effluent using Box-Behnken design
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Date
2025
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Publisher
KIU Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology
Abstract
This study optimized and evaluated a bacterial consortium for treating dairy industry effluent.
Effluent samples collected from a dairy processing facility in Nigeria were analyzed for
physicochemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations. Bacterial isolates were screened,
identified and tested for compatibility before developing a consortium. Bioremediation
conditions were optimized using experimental design, focusing on molasses concentration,
temperature, pH and inoculum size. The optimal conditions for total organic carbon degradation
were a molasses concentration of 0.60 mg/L, a temperature of 32°C, pH 7.7, and an inoculum
size of 17 mL. Under these conditions, total organic carbon decreased from 520 mg/L to 43.6
mg/L, chemical oxygen demand reduced from 1,480 mg/L to 120 mg/L, and biochemical oxygen
demand declined from 780 mg/L to 65 mg/L, demonstrating significant pollutant removal.
Carbon dioxide evolution increased steadily, reflecting active microbial metabolism, while
enzyme activities peaked around day 10, correlating with enhanced bacterial proliferation and
subsequent nutrient depletion. The regression model exhibited a high predictive accuracy, with
an R² value of 0.9997, confirming the reliability of the bioremediation process. These findings
underscore the effectiveness of the optimized bacterial consortium in degrading organic
pollutants in dairy effluent. The study highlights the potential application of microbial consortia
in industrial wastewater treatment, providing a sustainable and efficient approach to reducing
environmental pollution.