Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
Vol. 15, No. 2 (2006), 355-360

Biotransformation of Phosphogypsumin Petroleum-Refining Wastewaters

D. Wolicka, W. Kowalski

Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology, Faculty of Geology, Warsaw University,
Żwirki i Wigury 93, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland

Abstract: Eleven isolates of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were isolated from soil contaminated with crude oil derivatives and petroleum-refining wastewaters and used to investigate the effectiveness of carbon reduction and biotransformation of phosphogypsum. One of the isolates (culture no. 10) was found to be very effective with 90% carbon reduction (measured as COD) and the simultaneous biotransformation of approximately 2.65g phosphogypsum/L in industrial petroleum-refining wastewaters.

Keywords: biotransformation of phosphogypsum, petroleum-refining wastewaters, SRB.