Abstract
Removal of quinoline, which is typical of nitrogen‐containing compounds in crude oil, was achieved by a biodegradation reaction by Comamonas sp TKV3‐2‐1. The aerobic strain, Comamonas sp TKV3‐2‐1, which can grow utilizing quinoline as the sources of both carbon and nitrogen, degraded quinoline to 2‐hydroxyquinoline, finally to water‐soluble substances. The degradation reaction of 2‐hydroxyquinoline was revealed to be regarded as a rate‐limiting step controlling the overall reaction of biodenitrogenation process of quinoline in crude oil. The degradation rate of 2‐hydroxyquinoline in a stirred fermenter had a maximum of 211 mg 2‐hydroxyquinoline g‐cell^−1^ h^−1^ when the portion of crude oil in the reaction mixture, the cell concentration and the rotational speed of agitation impeller were 83.3%(v/v), 28.5 gdm^−3^ and 11.7 s^−1^, respectively. After the reaction was completed, the crude oil and the cell suspension could be separated efficiently by centrifuging. The possibility of constructing a bioprocess for removing quinoline in crude oil under storage is also discussed.
© 2001 Society of Chemical Industry