Bioremediation of parboiled rice effluent supplemented with biodiesel-derived glycerol using Pichia pastoris X-33.

This paper describes the use of Pichia pastoris X-33 as a bioremediator to reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and phosphorus (P-PO(4) (3-)), after culture in parboiled rice effluent supplemented with p.a. glycerol or a glycerol by-product of the biodiesel industry. The greatest reduction in the COD (55%), TKN (45%), and P-PO(4) (3-) (52%) of the effluent was observed in cultures of P. pastoris X-33 supplemented with 15 g.L(-1) of biodiesel-derived glycerol. Furthermore, the overall biomass yield was 2.1 g.L(-1). These data suggest that biodiesel-derived glycerol is an efficient carbon source for the bioremediation of parboiled rice effluent and biomass production.