Biodegradation of various edible oils and fat by Staphylococcus petrasii sub sp. jettensis VSJK R1 for application in bioremediation of lipid rich restaurant wastewater.

The disposal of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) pollutants from various sources, including restaurants, food processing facilities, and domestic kitchens, poses significant challenges to wastewater treatment systems. In this study, we isolated and characterized a novel bacterial strain. The result of 16 S rRNA gene and phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolate was Staphylococcus petrasii sub sp. jettensis and named as VSJK R1 (Fig. S1). It was tested for its biodegradation potential of FOG contaminants. Our investigation revealed that Staphylococcus petrasii sub sp. jettensis VSJK R1 effectively degraded a variety of edible oils, including soybean, sunflower, cottonseed, palm, groundnut, and butter, with notable efficiency. Optimization studies were conducted to determine the optimal conditions for biodegradation, including the effects of nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, pH, temperature, and salt concentration. Results indicated that organic nitrogen sources and glucose as carbon source significantly enhanced biodegradation rates, while the addition of phosphorus further improved degradation efficiency within specific concentration ranges. Moreover, the optimal pH for biodegradation was found to be neutral, with temperature ranging between 22°C and 45°C favoring microbial activity. Remarkably, Staphylococcus petrasii sub sp. jettensis VSJK R1 exhibited resilience to high salt concentrations, making it suitable for treatment of wastewater with elevated salt content. Additionally, comparative studies with other microbial strains underscored the unique biodegradation capabilities of Staphylococcus petrasii sub sp. jettensis VSJK R1, particularly in degrading various edible oils. The results suggest promising applications of this novel isolate in bioremediation efforts targeting FOG pollutants in wastewater treatment plants and grease traps. Future research may focus on scaling up the bioremediation process and field testing the efficacy of Staphylococcus petrasii sub sp. jettensis VSJK R1 in real-world wastewater treatment scenarios.