Production of bioflocculant from marine bacteria and its application in the treatment of coal wash plant fines
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Date
2015
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University of Zululand
Abstract
A total of 33 water and sediment samples were randomly selected from the marine
environment on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Strains were
isolated and screened for their potential to secrete bioflocculants and tested for
flocculating activity with a kaolin suspension. The strains that produced
bioflocculants with a high yield of flocculating activity (above 60%) were selected for
optimisation and further flocculating tests using coal mine slurry. One strain with
good flocculating abilities for both a kaolin suspension and coal mine slurry (74%
and 76% respectively) was analysed using its 16S rDNA nucleotide sequence and
was identified as Bacillus cereus. The bioflocculant bacterium was optimal when
glucose (40g/l) and urea, as the carbon and nitrogen sources, a pH of 4 and Ca2+ as
the cation were utilized. The exceptional flocculating performance of Bacillus cereus
demonstrated good potential for replacing the chemical flocculants that are currently
used in flocculating coal mine slurry generated at Tendele Coal Mine (TCM) located
in KZN.
Description
A thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Science in fulfilment of the requirements
for the Degree of Masters of Science in the Department of Hydrology at the University of Zululand, 2015
Keywords
bioflocculant --marine bacteria --plants