Detection of persistent organic compounds from biomethanated distillery spent wash (BMDS) and their degradation by manganese peroxidase and laccase producing bacterial strains.

Biomethanated distillery spent wash (BMDS) retains dark black colour with complex persistent organic pollutants even after anaerobic treatment. The specific ratio (4:3:1:1) of Proteus mirabilis (FJ581028), Bacillus sp. (FJ581030), Raoultella planticola (GU329705) and Enterobacter sakazakii (FJ581031) decolourised BMDS up to 76% within 192 hr along with degradation of persistent organic compounds in presence of glucose (1%) and peptone (0.1%). The colour removal ability was noted due to ligninolytic enzyme activity. Where the maximum manganese peroxidase was 1.93 U ml-1 and laccase activity equalled 0.84 U ml-1. The gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometry (GC–MS) analysis confirmed the direct correlation between colourant and persistent organic pollutants due to simultaneous reduction of colour and pollutants present in BMDS. The seed germination test showed reduction of 75% toxicity after bacterial treatment process.

Effect of distillery effluent on yield attributes of Brassica napus L.

A pot culture experiment was conducted to study the effect of untreated distillery effluent on yield attributes of gobi sarson (Brassica napus. L. var. Punjabi Special) at different effluent concentrations. The effluent showed unpleasant odour, acidic pH, high COD and high chlorides. Five concentrations of the distillery effluent (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%) were used for irrigation of B. napus plants with tap water as control. Various characteristics of siliqua (number of siliqua, average siliqua length, weight of siliqua) and seeds (number of seeds, weight of hundred seeds, economic yield) were quantified to check the variations in the yield attributes of effluent irrigated test plant. Overall, 20% distillery effluent was found to be most effective for highest number and better quality of siliqua (62.0 siliqua plant -1; weight of ten siliqua 1.21 g) and seeds (836.3 seeds plant -1; weight of 100 seeds 0.39 g), and increased yield (economic yield 2.85 g plant-1; stover yield 7.85 g plant-1) of the test plant.

Impact of distillery effluent on germination behaviour of Brassica napus L.

The study has been focused on effect of untreated distillery effluent (Devans Breweries Ltd., Jammu) on germination of gobi sarson (Brassica napus. L. var. Punjabi Special). Six treatments (E0….E100) each having three replicates were made. E0 was taken as control in which tap water was used for irrigation of the plants. For E20, E40, E60, E80 and E100, different concentrations i.e. 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of effluent were used for irrigation, respectively. The 100% sample of distillery effluent analyzed for various physicochemical parameters showed acidic nature (pH 4.0) and higher values of COD (2496 mg l-1), TDS (799.7 mg l-1) and chlorides (1408 mg l-1). The parameters e.g. percent germination, germination index, speed of germination, and peak value were highest in treatment receiving 20% effluent concentration which also showed minimum values for percent inhibition, germination period, and delay index.