Characterization and Degradation of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters Generated from Domestic Wastewater
Sulaimon A.M.*, Aderiye B. I
Citation : Sulaimon A.M.*, Aderiye B. I, Characterization and Degradation of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters Generated from Domestic Wastewater International Journal of Research Studies in Microbiology and Biotechnology 2018, 4(3) : 26-35.
Fatty acids (FAs) are key component of lipids; and the physical, chemical and physiological properties of a lipid class depend primarily on its fatty acid composition. Fats and oils (FOs) in wastewater create problems including the production of foul odours, the blockage of sewer lines and may interfere with the proper operation of sewage treatment works. Removal of FOs from wastewater is thus critically important to ensure that wastewater is disposed of efficiently and economically. In this study, the fatty acids present in the domestic waste were characterized and enumerated. Ability of Lysinibacillus sphaericus C3-41 to degrade fat/oil under laboratory conditions was then investigated. Gas chromatography method was used for the identification of microbiological degraded fatty acids in the vegetable oils as methyl ester. The domestic oil analyzed for fatty acids revealed vast amount of fatty acids (FAs) including myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, behenic and lignoceric, which have specific carbon number and their values in approximate percentage are C14:0 (1.7), C16:0 (34.7), C18:0 (8.1), C18:1 (16.1), C18:2 (23.7), C18:3 (0.02), C22:0 (0.02) and C24:0 (0.01) respectively. Palmitic acid percentage was high in the oil which contained considerable amount of 34.7% whereas percentage reduction of oleic acid was highest among the fatty acids. The total reduction of fatty acid by Lysinibacillus sphaericus C3-41 after 24 hrs was 8.2%. Lipase from Lysinibacillus sphaericus C3-41 had potential for degradation of fatty waste. It could therefore be employed in environmental cleanup of oil spill site.