Abstract

A bioflocculant prepared with Bacillus subtilis was used to treat tannery wastewater, followed by component analysis of the bioflocculant. The results demonstrated that the bioflocculant prepared with Bacillus subtilis was able to treat total nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour, successfully removing the compounds from tannery wastewater. Component analysis revealed that the bioflocculant contained saccharides, proteins, glycoproteins, osamines, and fats; the bioflocculant did not contain nucleic acid. It is expected that these results will contribute to future research into the application and the mechanism by which bioflocculants remove contaminants from tannery wastewater.