4. Conclusion
The results presented herein showed that the substrate used for
microbial growth can affect the determination of the heat capacity as
well as enthalpy of biological samples. The determination of such heat
capacity of a material as a function of the structure of the material
can assist in substrate selection for cyanidation wastewater treatment.
The impairment caused by free cyanide also reflected on the heat
capacity and enthalpy of dry biomass assessed. The toxicity by free
cyanide reduces the biomass molecular degree of freedom hence, the
biomass could not store sufficient thermal energy as most energy
resources are dedicated for cellular maintenance. The enthalpy of
combustion of dried biomass of F. oxysporum is within the range
available in literatures. This suggests that the method of biomass
preparation and its constituents does not significantly affect the final
enthalpy of biomass formation. Since biomass are not completely
crystalline substance, the enthalpy derived from the calorimetric
measurement can be used to further elucidate the capabilities associated
with the novel biocatalyst selection for the bioremediation of
cyanidation wastewater.