Degradation of malathion by Pseudomonas during activated sludge treatment system using principal component analysis (PCA)

Popular descriptive multivariate statistical method currently employed is the principal component analyses (PCA) method. PCA is used to develop linear combinations that successively maximize the total variance of a sample where th ere is no known group structure. This study aimed at demonstrating the performan ce evaluation of pilot activated sludge treatment system by inoculating a strain of Pseudomonas capable of degrading malathion which was isolated by enrichment technique. An intensive analytical program was followed for evaluating the effic iency of biosimulator by maintaining the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration at 4.0 mg/L. Analyses by high performance liquid chromatographic technique revealed that 90% of malathion removal was achieved within 29 h of treatment whereas COD got reduced considerably during the treatment process and mean removal efficien cy was found to be 78%. The mean pH values increased gradually during the treatm ent process ranging from 7.36—8.54. Similarly the mean ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) values were found to be fluctuating between 19.425—28.488 mg/L, mean nitrite-n itrogen (NO3-N) ranging between 1.301—2.940 mg/L and mean nitrate-nitrogen (NO3 -N) ranging between 0.0071—0.0711 mg/L. The study revealed that inoculation of bacterial culture under laboratory conditions could be used in bioremediation of environmental pollution caused by xenobiotics. The PCA analyses showed that pH, COD, organic load and total malathion concentration were highly correlated and emerged as the variables controlling the first component, whereas dissolved oxyg en, NO3-N and NH3-N governed the second component. The third component repeated the trend exhibited by the first two components.