Óleo residual de fritura: biodegradação por bactérias Pseudomonas sp. e Oceanimonas baumannii

Abstract

Residual frying oil is a hydrophobic substance that causes environmental damage and human health when discarded incorrectly. Surfactants are compounds with hydrophilic (interacting with polar substances) and hydrophobic (interacting with nonpolar substances) and when produced by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts are called biosurfactants. The present work had as objective to evaluate the production of biosurfactants by bacteria Pseudomonas sp. and Oceanimonas baumannii in the degradation of residual frying oil. To do this, tests of droplet collapse, emulsification volume and emulsion stability were carried out in five bacterial strains, in addition to the immobilization of calcium alginate from two strains used in microsystems developed to verify the residual oil biodegradation. As results, bacterial strains showed strong activity in the production of biosurfactants and good stability of emulsions formed (61.84% at the end of 48 hours). The immobilization of the strains was also effective when the biosurfactant activity was verified in the use of the residual oil as substrate in the microsystems. Finally, the application of bacterial cells producing biosurfactants and immobilized in calcium alginate in the degradation of the residual frying oil is shown as a promising biotechnology for the removal of this residue in the environment.