Utilization of beta vulgaris agrowaste in biodegradation of cyanide contaminated wastewater

Abstract

Recent developments in biotechnology for agro- /agro-industrial waste utilization have identified a plethora of agricultural waste (agrowaste) that is suitable for microbial proliferation and production of a variety of high value biological products, which are useful in industrial as well as environmental applications. About 1.6 billion tons of agrowaste is reportedly generated globally per annum [25]. Considering the environmental degeneration caused by such waste, and the fact that they are readily available, research studies have been geared toward assessing the feasibility of converting such waste into value added products. Studies into the chemical and nutritional composition of agrowaste have equally identified some of them as suitable substrates for microbial cultivation [54, 40, 63, 69, 5]. In environmental bioremediation applications, microorganisms can be supported on solid agrowaste to provide the required macro- and micro-nutrients required for biofilm formation, which usually enhances the metabolic activities of the microorganisms for solubilization and biodegradation of contaminants, some of which are known to be potential human carcinogens [18, 22]. The paradigm shift from conventional substrates such as refined glucose, to unconventional substrates such as solid agrowaste or agro-industrial waste could be due to the fact that the latter mitigates operational costs, particularly for large-scale processes. Nutrients are considered the largest expense in industrial bioprocesses whereby the fermentation medium can account for a large proportion of fermentation costs [10, 39, 60]. Suitable agrowaste such as orange peel, apple pomace, wheat bran, sugar cane bagasse, wheat bran, soybean oil cake, jatropha curcas, whey waste, and Beta vulgaris, have been identified to support microbial growth and the synthesis of metabolites which can catalyze a number of reactions under suitable conditions[46, 42, 62, 5].