Isolation of Furfuryl Alcohol Degrading Bacteria from Aromatic Compound-Based Industrial Waste

Polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) is one of the thermoset biopolymers that can meet the demand of green polymers. Furfuryl alcohol (FA) is the building unit of this promising biopolymer. This work is a preliminary study of microbial degradation of FA. FA degrading bacterial strains have been isolated from sites exposed to various aromatic compounds such as industrial effluents. A total of eight bacterial isolates have been selected as potential FA degraders based on their growth, with FA as the sole carbon source, colony morphology, and biochemical characteristics. In addition, the biokinetic study of the potent bacterial isolates has been performed, and a specific growth rate evaluated.