Treatment of Pharmaceutical Effluent by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora delbrueckii Isolated from Spoilt Water Melon

Abstract

A study was designed to assess the efficacy of yeast isolated from spoilt water melon in the biological treatment of pharmaceutical effluent. There were two yeast species identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulaspora delbrueckii. Each of the yeast was inoculated into the effluent and incubated for 15 days. Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows the highest percentage reduction of 52.5%, 52.5% and 58.7% for BOD, COD and nitrate respectively of the pharmaceutical effluent and closely followed by the consortium which has 44.5%, 44.5% and 72.0% for BOD, COD and nitrate reduction, respectively. The least percentage reduction was displayed by Torulaspora delbrueckii with 38.3%, 38.3% and 79.7%. The study revealed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from spoilt water melon could be used in the biological treatment of pharmaceutical effluent.