EFFECT OF CHICKEN FEATHER AND BACTERIAL TREATMENTS ON NITRITE LEVEL IN WASTEWATER

The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal conditions for nitrite in removal wastewater by two bacterial species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis) and chicken feather (raw and carbonated) fibre, under batch experimental conditions. Prior inoculating of the medium with the respective test bacterial species or addition of the feather fibres and every 24 h for 144 h duration, aliquot wastewater samples were withdrawn for the estimation of nitrite concentration using standard methods. The findings from this study revealed that nitrite removal from waste water is dependent on the pH, the initial concentration of nitrite in the media and the quantity of feather used or inoculum size of the test bacterial used for inoculation. In presence of the raw feather, optimum pH range for nitrite removal was observed to be between 6 and 12. No remarkable nitrite removal was observed in presence of the carbonated feather. Highest nitrite removal was observed with high inoculum concentration of the test bacterial species. At high initial nitrite levels in the medium, removal of nitrite was not observed in presence of the test bacterial species. The observation from this study could be employed in scale-up studies. In general, the study was able to provide valuable information on the role of chicken feather fibre and the test bacterial species in the removal of nitrite from wastewater under the experimental conditions investigated