Title of Invention

"A PROCESS FOR THE ESTIMATION OF ACCURATE AND REPRODUCIBLE BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND OF PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRIAL WASTE WATER"

Abstract The present invention provides a seeding material and a process for accurate and reproducible monitoring of BOD load of pulp and paper wastewater, wherein the bacterial strains are isolated from various locations in India and comprise Micrococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Kurthia zopfii, Alcaligenes faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The said seeding material or the microbial composition is capable of exerting an appropriate BOD for pulp and paper industrial wastewater due to the specificity of bacterial strains present therein towards the refractory organic compounds found in these effluents.
Full Text PROCESS FOR PREPARING MICROBIAL CONSORTIUM USEFUL AS SEEDING MATERIAL FOR BOD ANALYSIS OF PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing a specifically designed seeding material for BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater. The seeding material is a uniformly formulated microbial consortium comprising of isolated, acclimatized and synergistic bacterial strains. Background and Prior Art
Most water analysis methods quantify individual components. However, some, such as oxygen demand tests quantify an aggregate amount of constituents with a common characteristic. Broadly speaking, BOD and COD quantify amount of oxygen required to oxidize organic matter in water/wastewater to indicate amount of organic material present. BOD utilizes microorganisms to oxidize organic material, while COD uses inorganic chemical oxidant. BOD measurement is the most fundamental way of determining water pollution levels and of predicting possible effects of waste discharge. Organic matter that is present in water can be from plants, sugars, proteins or other substances that enter water from natural sources or pollution. This matter is broken down biochemically by organisms such as bacteria, which can multiply as long as organic matter is present as food and oxygen is available for respiration. If high population of bacteria continuously consume dissolved oxygen in water at an accelerated rate, atmospheric air will not be able to replenish it. This situation can create a lack of dissolved oxygen in water, threatening and destroying many forms of aquatic life. Oxygen depletion in receiving waters has been regarded as an important negative effect of water pollution. Depletion takes place due to microbes consuming organic matter in water via aerobic respiration. This type of respiration uses oxygen as an electron acceptor and organic material being consumed provides the energy source. Since O2 content is important for many biological and chemical processes, measurements of amount of O2 actually dissolved in a water sample is of great importance. BOD test relates to amount of O2 that would be required to stabilize waste after discharging to a receiving water body.

BOD is a parameter of great concern. Failing to realize importance of BOD in wastewater/effluent treatment systems can lead to devastating effects on local aquatic ecology and quality of underlying groundwater.
Monitoring BOD removal through a treatment plant is necessary to verify proper operation. BOD test is typically performed in municipal or industrial wastewater plant. The results of BOD analysis are used to calculate the degree of pollution and to determine the effectiveness of water treatment by waste water and sewage plant. Different organic compounds show different oxygen demand (mg/1), thus the BOD test only gives an approximate idea of the weight of oxidizable organic matter. BOD test is carried out using standard methods as prescribed in APHA {Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20 edn. 5-1-5-6. Baltimore). Test substances and standard substances are dissolved in BOD dilution water. Standard substrate is made of 0.15 mg/1 glucose and 0.15 mg/1 glutamic acid, which has a calculated BOD of 220 mgL-1. It is expressed in ter-ms of Dissolved Oxygen (DO), which microorganisms, mainly bacteria will consume while degrading organic material in a sample of water under standardized conditions of pH, nutrients and microorganisms. The amount of oxygen that dissolves in the water depends on many factors: whether there is adequate time and adequate mixing to fully saturate the water, the water temperature, the air pressure, the salt content of the water, and whether there are substances in the water which consume theO2
Microorganisms either are present in the water sample or are introduced by taking a small quantity of a suitable microbial source such as settled sewage. The inoculant is called BOD 'seed' and the process, 'seeding'. Since BOD analysis relies on a biological process, there is a greater variance in results than would normally be expected in a strictly chemical assay. The Standard methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater indicated an acceptable range of ±15% at the 200mg/l level for the reference GGA ( Glucose-Glutamic Acid) solution; using the results from a series of Interlaboratory studies.
For all sources of seed, the possibility exists that some wastes will cause poisoning of the microorganisms. Some wastes will have develop3ed microorganisms adapted to the toxic conditions and hence give expected BOD results. But, in other wastes

the microorganisms will adapt over the period of the BOD test. Because of the lag time involved in adaptation, a lower BOD is obtained than might be expected. If the toxicity is sufficiently acute, a zero or close to zero result is obtained. Further, the ratio of various species of bacteria normally added can change in a 5-day period. BOD is the result of a summation of the oxygen demand of these microorganisms, whose contribution to the oxygen demand will change with time because of the changing population and changing feedstock.
Among the major industries in India, Pulp and Paper is one of those that contribute heavily to water pollution. Pollutants that generally arise from the industry include wood sugars, cellulose, fiber, lignin and other spent chemicals, which impart high BOD, COD, colour, etc. to the effluent. Thus, there arises a need to develop specific seeding material (comprising of selected, acclimatized and autochthonous bacterial strains) for analyzing the BOD load of these industrial wastewaters.
In addition, some of these compounds are refractory to biodegradation because of high molecular weight coupled with lesser bioavailability. The BOD analysis of such types of wastewaters poses acute problems because of many reasons, which include the heterogeneity of the samples from time to time, non-specific microorganisms present in general seeding material and lower biodegradation rate of the organic constituents present therein.
The aforesaid problems can be overcome by formulating a uniform microbial composition comprising selected isolated bacterial strains, acclimatized to pulp and paper wastewater. Further, these bacterial isolates must be specific for biodegradation of organic compounds present in these kinds of wastewater. General seeding materials viz., sewage, Polyseed, Bioseed and BODSEED™, when used for BOD analysis of above said wastewater does not work efficiently because of non-specificity of bacterial strains present therein. This leads to erroneous results, which differ from time to time. On the other hand, if specifically designed formulated microbial consortium comprising selected bacterial strains are used as seed for BOD analysis of above said effluents, it may yield reproducible and reliable results.
Thus, for solving the aforementioned problems, the applicants have realized that there exists a need to provide a process for the preparation of a microbial consortium,

specifically formulated for use as seeding material for the BOD analysis of Pulp and paper wastewater. Objects of the Invention
The main object of the invention is to provide a specific seeding material for the BOD estimation of pulp and paper effluents.
Another object of the invention is to provide a microbial consortium exerting a synergistic effect for the assimilation of pulp and paper wastewater.
Another object of the invention is to provide a process for preparing a microbial consortium specifically formulated for use as seeding material in BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater. Summary of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for development of a microbial composition comprising selected acclimatized bacterial strains, isolated from source habitat. The bacterial strains'constituting the microbial consortium are synergistic and exert an exact and reproducible oxygen demand for pulp and paper wastewater. The present invention provides a formulated microbial consortium and a process for the preparation of the said consortium, useful for reliable and reproducible BOD estimation of pulp and paper industrial wastewater.
Accordingly the present invention provides a synergistic microbial consortium for use as a seeding material for estimation of accurate and reproducible biochemical oxygen demand of pulp and paper industrial waste water, the composition comprising five bacterial strains, Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602), Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603), Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604), Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) deposited at International Depository at IMTECH, Sector 39A, Chandigarh, India.
In one embodiment of the invention, bacterial strains are taken in equal proportions.
In another embodiment of the invention, the bacteria are isolated from activated sludge and soil samples collected from the vicinity of a selected pulp and paper mill.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602) are as follows: Gram—positive, Shape—cocci.

In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603) are as follows: Gram—positive, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Kurthia zopjii (MTCC 6604) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) are as follows: Gram-Negative, Shape—rods.
The present invention also relates to a process for preparing a microbial consortium for use as a seeding material for estimation of accurate and reproducible biochemical oxygen demand of pulp and paper industrial waste water, the consortium comprising five bacterial strains, Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602), Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603), Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604), Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) deposited at International Depository at IMTECH, Sector 39A, Chandigarh, India, the process comprising inoculating individual bacterial strains of bacteria separately in a nutrient broth, incubating the cultures, measuring cell colony growth at periodic intervals till required growth is attained, mixing individual cultures in desired proportions to form cell suspension, centrifuging cell suspension to obtain a cell pellet and washing the cell pellet, re-centrifuging the cell pellet to obtain a final cell pellet and suspending final cell pellet in phosphate buffer.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, cell colony growth is determined by measuring optical density of all cultures at 620nm after stipulated time intervals till required growth where optical density is in the range of 1.0 to 1.2 at 650 nm is attained.
In another embodiment of the invention, cell cultures are incubated at a temperature in the range of 30 - 37°C for approximately 12-18 hours and under gentle shaking.
In one embodiment of the invention, the nutrient broth contains per litre, 5.0g of Peptic digest of animal tissue; 5.0g of Sodium chloride; 1.5g of Beef extract; 1.5g of Yeast extract and 0.1ml Tween-80.

In another embodiment of the invention, the resultant cell suspension is centrifuged at an rpm in the range of 6000-8000 and for a period in the range of 15 - 25 minutes and at a temperature ranging between 4-12°C.
In another embodiment of the invention, the cell pellet is washed by dissolving in 10-l00mM phosphate buffer having a pH in the range of 6.5-7.5 followed by vortexing for 35-45 seconds, followed by recentrifugation at in the range of 5000-8000 rpm for 15-25 minutes and at a temperature ranging between 4-10°C.
In another embodiment of the invention, the cell pellet washed once is given a second wash with 10-100mM phosphate buffer having a pH in the range of 6.5-7.5.
In another embodiment of the invention, the cell pellet is suspended in 5.0-10.0ml of 10-100mM phosphate buffer having a pH in the range of 6.5-7.5.
In another embodiment of the invention, the cell pellet is washed twice by dissolving in minimum quantity of 50mM phosphate buffer having a pH 6.8.
In another embodiment of the invention, the re-centrifugation of the washed cell pellet is carried out at a rpm of about 5000rpm and for a period of about 20 minutes and at a temperature ranging between 4-10°C.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the recentrifuged cell pellet is suspended in desired volume of phosphate buffer and stored at a temperature of about 4°C, till use.
In one embodiment of the invention, bacterial strains are taken in equal proportions.
In another embodiment of the invention, the bacteria are isolated from activated sludge and soil samples collected from the vicinity of a selected pulp and paper mill.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602) are as follows: Gram-positive, Shape—cocci.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603) are as follows: Gram—positive, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.

In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
The present invention also provides a method for the estimation of biochemical oxygen demand of pulp and paper industrial wastewater using a consortium comprising five bacterial strains, Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602), Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603), Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604), Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) deposited at International Depository at IMTECH, Sector 39A, Chandigarh, India, the process comprising treating pulp and paper industrial wastewater with the microbial consortium and analysing the biochemical oxygen demand thereof.
In one embodiment of the invention, the bacterial strains are taken in equal proportions.
In another embodiment of the invention, the bacteria are isolated from activated sludge and soil samples collected from the vicinity of a selected pulp and paper mill.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602) are as follows: Gram—positive, Shape—cocci.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603) are as follows: Gram—positive, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
The present invention also provides a method for estimating biochemical oxygen demand of pulp and paper industrial wastewater using a consortium comprising five bacterial strains, Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602), Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603), Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604), Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605), the process comprising:
a) isolating a range of bacterial strains from soil near selected pulp and paper industries;
b) culturing the strains on a nutrient medium to obtain pure cultures;

c) inoculating isolated bacterial strains individually in nutrient medium and incubating them at ambient temperature under gentle shaking for a period of 12-18 hrs;
d) observing optical density of the cultures at 620-650 nm till desired growth is attained;
e) harvesting grown cells obtained in step (d) by centrifuging for 15-25 min at a temperature in the range of 4 to 10°C to obtain a cell pellet;
f) washing cell pellet obtained in step (e) by dissolving in 10-100mM phosphate buffer having pH in the range of 6.5-7.5 followed by recentrifugation;
g) repeating step (f) for giving a second washing to the obtained cell pellet;
h) dissolving pellet obtained from step (g) in desired volume of 10-100mM phosphate
buffer with pH in range of 6.5-7.5 to obtain a seed for BOD analysis of pulp and
paper wastewater; i) testing individual pure cultures of isolated bacterial strains obtained in step (h) for
analyzing BOD of pulp and paper industrial wastewater; j) verifying BOD values obtained in step (i) using a reference standard; k) comparing the BOD values obtained in step (i) and (j) with values obtained using a
synthetic seed; 1) selecting bacterial strains which have BOD values equal to or more than BOD values
obtained using the synthetic seed as seeding material observed in step (k); m) mixing bacterial strains selected in step (1) in various combinations to obtain different
microbial consortia; n) obtaining cell pellet of each microbial consortium following the method of steps c to
h; o) testing seeds as obtained in step (n) for BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater; p) selecting the optimal seed from results as obtained in step (o).
In one embodiment of the invention, the cell slurry of individual isolated bacterial strains is tested as seed for BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater.
In another embodiment of the invention, the BOD values obtained using seeds are verified using Glucose-Glutamic acid (GGA) as a reference standard.
In one embodiment of the invention, the bacterial strains are taken in equal proportions.

In another embodiment of the invention, the bacteria are isolated from activated sludge and soil samples collected from the vicinity of a selected pulp and paper mill.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602) are as follows: Gram—positive, Shape—cocci.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603) are as follows: Gram—positive, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods.
In another embodiment of the invention, the characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) are as follows: Gram—Negative, Shape—rods. Detailed Description of the Invention
The specific seeding material provided according to the present invention is a formulated microbial consortium, which contains bacteria consisting of:
(Table Removed)

and which facilitate BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater, giving accurate and reproducible BOD values of these wastewaters, performed at any place. The above mentioned bacterial strains are deposited at the International Depository at IMTECH, Sector 39A, Chandigarh, India recognized by Budapest Treaty and will be available to public on request as per the normal official procedures. The main characteristic features of all bacterial isolates used for the present invention are given below: Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602)

Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602) is aerobic in nature, is gram positive, motile, capable of growth at pH 8.00 and in NaCl (8.5%) and shows optimum growth at 37°C and is also capable of hydrolyzing urea and starch. Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603)
Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603) is facultative aerobic in nature, is gram positive, non-motile, shows optimum growth at 42°C, is also capable of growth at a pH of up to 11.00 and is capable of utilizing cellobiose and salicin. Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604)
Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604) is facultative aerobic in nature, is gram positive, motile, shows optimum growth at 30°C and is capable of growth at high pH (11.00) and is capable of utilizing cellobiose and raffinose. Alcalieenes faecalis (MTCC 6719)
Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) is aerobic in nature, is gram negative, motile, shows optimum growth at 37°C and is positive for cytochrome oxidase and catalase test and is also capable of utilizing dextrose and galactose as carbon source. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) is aerobic in nature, is gram negative, motile, fluorescent, shows optimum growth at 40°C, is capable of utilizing arabinose, dextrose, fructose, galactose, mannitol, mannose and xylose.
The formulated microbial consortium preferably contains the bacteria in uniform amounts. The microbial consortium of the invention is useful as seeding material for the BOD analysis of especially, pulp and paper wastewater. The bacterial cultures of the above seeding material are isolated from selected source habitats. The source habitats are soils near pulp and paper industry, which have accumulated industrial wastewater for several years.
The specifically formulated seeding material is prepared by inoculating individual bacterial strains of the above mentioned bacteria separately in nutrient broth containing (per litre), 5.0g of Peptic digest of animal tissue; 5.0g of Sodium chloride; 1.5g of Beef extract; 1.5g of Yeast extract and 0.1ml Tween-80. Incubation of all cultures is done preferably at a temperature of 37°C for approximately 12-18 hours, under gentle shaking. Optical density of all cultures is measured at 620nm after stipulated time intervals. After

attaining required growth (O.D.=1.0-1.2 at 650nm) in terms of optical density, individual cultures are mixed in desired proportions to formulate different microbial consortia.
The resultant cell suspension is centrifuged at an appropriate rpm (6000-8000) for a period of 20 minutes at a temperature ranging between 4-12°C. The obtained cell pellet is washed twice by dissolving in minimum quantity of 50mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.8 and recentrifuged at an appropriate rpm, preferably at 5000rpm for a period of approximately 20 min at a temperature ranging between 4-10°C. The final cell pellet thus obtained is suspended n desired volume of phosphate buffer and stored at a temperature, preferably 4°C, till used.
The formulated microbial consortium prepared in the above manner can be used as seed inoculum for the BOD analysis of specifically pulp and paper wastewater, using Glucose-Glutamic acid (GGA) as a reference standard. For this, desired aliquots of the prepared cell suspension, was added as seeding material in the dilution water for BOD. In the invention, BOD analysis was performed as per the method described in the Standard Method for the Examination of Water and wastewater (APHA, 1998).
The invention provides a microbial consortium comprising of a synergistic mixture of at least the following isolated bacterial strains present in equal proportions useful for analyzing the biochemical oxygen demand of especially, pulp and paper wastewater. The invention also provides a process for preparing the microbial formulation, which comprises:
a) isolating a range of bacterial isolates from soils near selected pulp and paper industries;
b) culturing the isolated bacterial isolates on nutrient medium (Ingredients: peptic digest of animal tissue -5g/l; Sodium Chloride -5g/l; Beef extract- 1.5g/l and Yeast extract -1.5g/l) to obtain pure cultures;
c) inoculating the isolated bacterial isolates individually in nutrient medium (Ingredients: peptic digest of animal tissue -5g/l ; Sodium Chloride -5g/l ; Beef extract- 1.5g/l and Yeast extract -1.5g/l) and incubating them at an ambient temperature under gentle shaking for a period of 12-18 hrs;
d) observing the optical density of the grown cultures at 620nm;

e) harvesting the cells obtained in step (d) by ccntrifuging for 15-25 min at a temperature preferably at 4°C;
f) washing the cell pellet obtained in step (e) by dissolving in 10-l00mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.5-7.5 followed by recentrifugation;
g) repeating step (f) for giving a second washing to the obtained cell;
h) dissolving the pellet obtained from step (g) in desired volume of 10-100mM
phosphate buffer, pH 6.5-7.5 to obtain the desired seed for BOD analysis of Pulp and
paper wastewater; i) testing the individual pure cultures of the isolated bacterial strains as obtained in step
(h) for analyzing the BOD of Pulp and paper industrial wastewater; j) BOD estimation of pulp and paper industrial waster using specific bacterial isolates
and bacteria present in BODEED k) comparing the BOD values obtained in step (i) and (j) with those obtained using the
synthetic seed viz., BODSEED™; 1) selecting the bacterial strains which have BOD values equal to more than the BOD
values obtained using BODSEED as seeding material, as observed in step (k); m) mixing the bacterial strains selected in step (1) in various combinations to obtain
different microbial consortia; n) obtaining the cell pellet of each microbial consortium in the manner as described in
step c, d, e, f, g and h; o) testing different microbial consortia as seeds as obtained in step (n) for the BOD
analysis of pulp and paper industrial wastewater; p) selecting the best seed from the results as obtained in step (o).
The microbial consortium comprises of a synergistic mixture of Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602), Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603), Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604), Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605). The bacterial strains are isolated from source habitats, which are soils near selected pulp and paper industry. The isolated bacterial strains were cultured on nutrient medium to obtain pure cultures. The individual bacterial strains isolated as stated above, were inoculated separately in nutrient medium followed by incubation at 30-37°C for 12-18 hrs at 75-150 rpm. Optical density of the grown bacterial strains is observed at 620-650 nm. The

obtained cell suspension having desired optical density is centrifuged at an appropriate rpm, preferably at 5000-8000 rpm for a period of approximately 15-25 min at a temperature ranging between 4-10°C to harvest the cells. The harvested cell pellet is washed twice by dissolving in appropriate quantity of 10-100 mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.5-7.5, followed by centrifugation at an appropriate rpm in the range of 5000-8000 rpm for 15-25 min at a temperature preferably at 4°C. The washed cell pellet is dissolved in appropriate volume of 10-100 mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.5-7.5 to obtain the seed(s) for BOD analysis. The seeds thus obtained are tested for their efficiency towards BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater. BOD values of pulp and paper wastewater obtained using the seeds are compared with those using a synthetic seed viz., BODSEED™. The bacterial strains comprising the seeds, which exert BOD values equal to or more than BOD values observed using BODSEED™ are selected. The bacterial strains selected are then mixed in various combinations to obtain different microbial consortia. The cell pellet of' each microbial consortium is obtained by the method described above. The microbial seeds thus obtained are tested for the BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater. The formulated microbial consortium exhibiting highest BOD for pulp and paper wastewater is selected for use as specific seeding material in BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater.
The invention is described with references to the following examples and should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention. Example 1: Isolation of the bacterial strains from the source habitat
Soil samples in vicinity of a selected pulp and paper Mill (Century Pulp & Paper Mill, LalKuan, Uttaranchal) were selected for isolation of bacterial strains. Different media were chosen for isolation, and are listed in Table 1. Collected soil samples were enriched for autochthonous bacterial population present therein by adding lO.Og of collected soil sample in a medium containing 72% soil infusion, 20% nutrient broth, 0.1% lignin, 0.1% vanillin and 0.1% tannin. This suspension was incubated at 37°C for 48-50 hrs under gentle shaking. The obtained enriched suspension was used for isolating bacterial strains using serial dilution method. Serial dilutions for this purpose were prepared till concentration of 10"12 in 50mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.8. Appropriate aliquots of each dilution were plated on different media (listed in Table 1) and plates

were incubated at 37 C for 20-24 hrs in upright position. The number of various bacterial isolates appearing as colonies were noted and further purified for use and storage (see Table 2).
Table 1: Various Media Used for Isolating Bacterial Strains from Source Habitat
(Table Removed)


Table 2: Number of Various Bacterial Isolates that Appeared on Different Nutrient Media
(Table Removed)



Example 2
Activated sludge samples from a selected pulp and paper mill (Century Pulp & Paper Mill, LalKuan, Uttaranchal) were selected for isolation of bacterial strains. Different media were chosen for isolation and are listed in Table 1. The collected samples were enriched for the autochthonous bacterial population present therein, by adding 10.0ml of the sludge sample in a medium containing 72% soil infusion, 20% nutrient broth, 0.1% lignin, 0.1% vanillin and 0.1% tannin. This suspension was incubated at 37°C for 48-50 hrs under gentle shaking. The obtained enriched suspension was used for isolating the bacterial strains using the serial dilution method. Serial dilutions for this purpose were prepared from 10"' to 10"12 in 50mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.8. 100 \i\ of each dilution were plated on different media (as listed in Table 1) and the plates were incubated at 37°C for 20-24 hrs in an upright position. The number of various bacterial isolates that appeared as colonies were noted and further purified for use and storage (see Table 2).
Example 3: BOD Analysis of pulp and paper wastewater sample using individual isolated bacterial strains
Some of the bacterial strains were chosen randomly from the total isolated strains on the basis of their growth rate for use as seeding material for BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater. Those bacterial strains having a comparatively faster growth rate and thus a short generation time were selected for further set of experiments.
(Table Removed)
Example 4
The bacterial strains selected as stated above were individually inoculated in 50ml of nutrient broth having 0.01% Tween-80. All the cultures were incubated at 37°C for 16-20 hrs in an incubator shaker at 120 rpm. Optical density of all the cultures was maintained to 1.0 ± 0.1 (at 620 nm). Cells were harvested by centrifugation at 5000rpm for 15-20 min at a temperature ranging between 4°C. The pellet thus obtained was washed twice with 50mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.8 by suspending it in 5.0-10.0 ml of the same buffer, vortexing for 30-45 sec followed by centrifugation at 5000rpm for 20 min at 4°C. The cell pellet of individual bacterial isolates thus obtained was resuspended in 5.0ml of the same buffer and used as seeding material @ 0.1% and 0.2% for the BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater using GGA as a reference standard. The results of the study are presented in Table 3.
Table 3: BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater sample using individual isolated bacterial strains
(Table Removed)
Example 5: BOD Analysis of pulp and paper wastewater using different formulated microbial consortium
Out of the total individual bacterial isolates used for BOD analysis, as described in Example 3, 27 isolates were selected for the formulation of 44 microbial consortia (Table 4) Those individual bacterial isolates, which exhibited BOD values higher to or comparable to BODSEED™ were chosen.
Table 4: Microbial consortia as made from selected bacterial isolates
(Table Removed)
Example 6
The individual bacterial strains comprising the said microbial consortium were inoculated separately in 50ml of nutrient broth having 0.01% Tween-80. All the cultures were incubated at 37°C for 16-20 hrs in an incubator shaker at 120 rpm. Optical density of all the cultures was maintained to 1.0 ± 0.1 (at 620 nm). The individual cell suspensions were mixed in desired proportions to obtain different microbial consortia. Cells of each microbial consortium were harvested by centrifugation at 5000-7000 rpm for 15-20 min at a temperature ranging between 4-10°C. The pellet thus obtained was washed twice with 50mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.8 by suspending it in 5.0-10.0 ml of the same buffer, vortexing for 30-45 sec followed by centrifugation at 5000-7000 rpm for 20

min at 4°C. The cell pellet thus obtained was resuspended in 5.0ml of the same buffer and used as seeding material @ 0.1% for the BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater using GGA as a reference standard. The results of the BOD analysis performed using the microbial seeds obtained in the above said manner are illustrated in Table 5.
Table 5: BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater using different formulated microbial consortia
(Table Removed)



min at 4 C. The cell pellet thus obtained was resuspended in 5.0ml of the same buffer and used as seeding material @ 0.1% for the BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater using GGA as a reference standard. The results of the BOD analysis performed using the microbial seeds obtained in the above said manner are illustrated in Table 5.
Table 5: BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater using different formulated microbial consortia
(Table Removed)
Example 7
Some of the microbial consortia used for the BOD analysis (described in Example 6) were selected for further set of experiments on the basis of their ability to biodegrade the constituents of pulp and paper wastewater, thereby exerting an oxygen demand comparable to or higher than that exerted by BODSEED™. The selected microbial
consortia were again tested for the BOD analysis of a fresh lot of pulp and paper wastewater. The resulting BOD values are presented in Table 6.
Table 6: BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater using selected microbial consortia
(Table Removed)


Example 8
Out of the 14 microbial consortia selected for BOD analysis (described in Example 7), 5 microbial consortia were selected, which exhibited the best values for pulp and paper wastewater. The results were repeated with three samples, collected at different time intervals for authentication (see Table 7).

Table 7: BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater using best performing microbial consortia
(Table Removed)



Example 9
Out of the best five microbial consortia, the following consortium was selected as an authenticated and best seeding material for the estimation of accurate and reproducible estimation of biochemical oxygen demand of pulp and paper industrial wastewater. The bacterial strains in this consortium were identified as Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602), Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603), Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604), Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) which are deposited at International Depository at IMTECH, Sector 39A, Chandigarh, India. Table 8: BODanalysis of pulp and paper wastewater using best performing microbial consortia
(Table Removed)

* all values are mean of the analysis done with three different samples Advantages
1. The selected formulated microbial consortium comprising of the isolated bacterial strains act in a synergistic way and is capable of degrading the easily assimilable as well as the refractory organic compounds present in Pulp and paper wastewater.
2. These types of seeds will detail the quantity of organic compounds contained in these wastes, which is released unnoticed when the wastes are analyzed for their BOD load using the general seeds. This leads to accurate BOD values of these types of wastewaters, which is difficult to achieve with the microorganisms present in general seeding material.
3. The use of such specific seeding material for the BOD analysis of Pulp and paper wastewaters will lead to a better control of the treatment process of these types of wastewaters.










We claim:
1. A process for the estimation of accurate and reproducible biochemical oxygen demand
of pulp and paper industrial waste water, wherein the steps comprising:
[a] providing a synergistic microbial consortium comprising the bacterial strains selected from the group consisting of Micrococcus sp. (MTCC 6602), Staphylococcus sp. (MTCC 6603), Kurthia zopfii (MTCC 6604), Alcaligenes faecalis (MTCC 6719) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 6605) deposited at International Depository at IMTECH, Sector 39A, Chandigarh, India;
[b] inoculating the bacterial strains individually in nutrient medium and incubating them at a temperature of 30-37 degree C under gentle shaking for a period of 12-18 hrs followed by mixing to obtain a cell suspension and centrifugation to obtain a cell pellet;
[c] washing the pellet obtained in step (b) with 10-100mM phosphate buffer having pH in the range of 6.5-7.5 to obtain a seed for BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater;
[d] testing the seed as obtained in step (c) for BOD analysis of pulp and paper wastewater and comparing the BOD values obtained with values obtained using a synthetic seed or conventional BOD seed.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bacterial strains are taken in equal proportions.
3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bacterial strains are isolated from activated sludge and soil samples collected from the vicinity of a selected pulp and paper mill.
4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell suspension is centrifuged at an rpm in
the range of 6000-8000 and for a period in the range of 15 - 25 minutes and at a
temperature ranging between 4-12 degree C.
5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the BOD values obtained using the said seed
are verified using Glucose-Glutamic acid (GGA) as a reference standard.
6. A process for the estimation of accurate and reproducible biochemical oxygen demand of pulp and paper industrial waste water substantially as herein described with reference to the foregoing examples.

Documents:

814-DEL-2005-Abstract.pdf

814-DEL-2005-Claims-(22-10-2010).pdf

814-del-2005-claims.pdf

814-DEL-2005-Correspondence-Others-(22-10-2010).pdf

814-del-2005-correspondence-others.pdf

814-del-2005-description (complete).pdf

814-DEL-2005-Form-1-(22-10-2010).pdf

814-del-2005-form-1.pdf

814-del-2005-form-18.pdf

814-DEL-2005-Form-2-(22-10-2010).pdf

814-del-2005-form-2.pdf

814-DEL-2005-Form-3-(22-10-2010).pdf

814-del-2005-form-3.pdf

814-del-2005-form-5.pdf

814-DEL-2005-Petition-137-(22-10-2010).pdf


Patent Number 244344
Indian Patent Application Number 814/DEL/2005
PG Journal Number 49/2010
Publication Date 03-Dec-2010
Grant Date 01-Dec-2010
Date of Filing 31-Mar-2005
Name of Patentee COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
Applicant Address ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI-110001, INDIA.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 RITA KUMAR, SHIKHA IGIB, MALL ROAD, DELHI, INDIA.
2 ANIL KUMAR RASTOGI IGIB, MALL ROAD, DELHI, INDIA.
PCT International Classification Number C12N 11/02
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA 2004-12-24 U.S.A.