Scale-up performance of a partitioning bioreactor for the degradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons by Sphingomonas aromaticivorans

A partitioning bioreactor, consisting of an aqueous phase containing Sphingomonas aromaticivorans and an immiscible organic phase (dodecane), loaded with naphthalene and phenanthrene, was operated at two scales, 5 l and 150 l. Complete degradation of 15 g and 300 g, respectively, of these polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) mixtures was achieved in 21 h in both cases resulting in a volumetric PAH degradation rate of 238 mg l−1 h−1 based on reactor aqueous volumes.