ABSTRACT
Beet molasses vinasse is formed in large quantities as a waste product of the distillery industry, where the molasses derived from sugar beet is used as a raw material. This vinasse has a dark color, low pH, and chelating properties. Many microorganisms have the ability to decolorize and biodegrade beet molasses vinasse. In this work, different cultivation parameters (the type of the bacterial culture; static or agitated) and medium components ((NH4)2SO4, KH2PO4, yeast extract, glucose, and peptone, and the vinasse concentration) were evaluated utilizing Plackett-Burman design to identify the important factors influencing the vinasse decolorization by Bacillus megaterium ATCC 14581. The significant variables were selected as follows: (NH4)2SO4, KH2PO4, glucose, and the concentration of vinasse. These four factors should be chosen as being promising for further optimization studies. The maximum color removal was 38%.
Funding
This study was financed by the National Science Centre (Poland) under Project No. N N312 421940.