Process performance determination data in thiocyanate biodegradation systems: Use of sulphate production

Lukhanyo Mekuto; Lovasoa C Razanamahandry; Seteno K O Ntwampe; John-Baptist N Mudumbi; Gift Muchatibaya

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2018.01.017

Process performance determination data in thiocyanate biodegradation systems: Use of sulphate production

Data Brief. 2018 Jan 20:17:275-278. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.01.017. eCollection 2018 Apr.

Authors

Lukhanyo Mekuto¹, Lovasoa C Razanamahandry², Seteno K O Ntwampe¹, John-Baptist N Mudumbi¹, Gift Muchatibaya³

Affiliations

¹ Bioresource Engineering Research Group (BioERG), Department of Biotechnology, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, PO Box 652, Cape Town 8000, South Africa.
² International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), Department of Water and Sanitation, Laboratory of Water, Decontamination, Ecosystem and Health (LEDES), 01 P.O. Box 594, 01 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
³ Department of Mathematics, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Abstract

This data article presents the utilization of sulphates as an indirect technique for the assessment of microbial growth, activity and SCN^- biodegradation efficiency since the TDO were observed to be unable to utilise the produced sulphates as a source of sulphur (Mekuto e al., 2017) [1] The TDO demonstrated complete SCN^- biodegradation while also utilizing the produced ammonium. The production of SO₄^2- from SCN^- biodegradation had a good correlation in comparison to the traditional methods of assessing microbial growth and activity i.e. direct cell counts (DCC), heterotrophic counts (CFU) and fluorescein production from fluorescein diacetate (FDA). The concentration of the produced SO₄^2- demonstrated a similar logarithmic trend with the FDA, DCC and CFU techniques, thus confirming that the production of SO₄^2- from SCN^- biodegradation systems can be utilised as an indirect technique for the assessment of microbial growth, activity and SCN^- biodegradation performance.

Keywords: Biodegradation; Direct cell counts; Fluorescein diacetate; Heterotrophic cell counts; Sulphates; Thiocyanate.