Search

In this study, Bacillus cereus isolate from tannery effluent was employed for orange II dye decolorization in simulated minimal salt broth and textile effluent. Most of the physicochemical parameters of textile effluent were above the permissible limits. The strain was highly tolerant to dye up to 500 mg l(-1). Increasing dye concentration exerted inhibitory effect on the bacterial growth and decolorization. The maximum decolorization of initial 100 mg dye l(-1) was achieved at optimum pH 8.0 and 33 °C under static culture conditions during 96-h incubation. Supplementation with optimized glucose (0.4%, w/v) and ammonium sulfate (0.1%, w/v) with 3.0% B. cereus inoculum further enhanced dye decolorization to highest 68.5% within 96-h incubation. A direct correlation was evident between bacterial growth and dye decolorization. Under above optimized conditions, 24.3% decolorization of unsterilized real textile effluent by native microflora was achieved. The effluent decolorization enhanced substantially to 37.1% with B. cereus augmentation and to 40.5% when supplemented with glucose and ammonium sulfate without augmentation. The maximum decolorization of 52.5% occurred when textile effluent was supplemented with optimized exogenous carbon and nitrogen sources along with B. cereus augmentation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified sulfanilic acid as orange II degradation product. Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy of metabolic products indicated the presence of amino and hydroxyl functional groups. This strain may be suitably employed for in situ decolorization of textile industrial effluent under broad environmental conditions.

The physicochemical analyses of pulp–paper mill effluent revealed that it was dark brown with 1761 ± 2.3 color PtCo units having slightly alkaline pH, high biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand values, and contained large quantities of organic and inorganic constituents, well above the prescribed standards. The bacterial growth, color reduction, and dechlorination were evident in all the four sets of experiments with different possible combinations of nutrient supplementation and Pseudomonas putida augmentation. A high degree of decolorization at 29.7% and 27.4% was observed by the effluent native microflora during 48 and 24 h, in unaugmented effluent supplemented with glucose + yeast extract and glucose + peptone, respectively. The extent of decolorization in glucose + yeast extract unaugmented effluent also corresponded with high degree of dechlorination (59.3%) during 60-h incubation (SET III). An appreciable level of growth, decolorization, and dechlorination was evident in nutrient unsupplemented P. putida augmented effluent as well as in the control natural effluent. However, a maximum level of growth response (OD 1.641–1.902) during 36–48 h, removal of color (39.72–48.2%) during 24–36 h, and chloride ions (80.1–83.5%) during 36 h was achieved in P. putida augmented effluent supplemented with glucose + yeast extract or peptone. Therefore, supplementation of effluent with glucose and yeast extract or peptone and concomitant augmentation with P. putida is required for efficient effluent decolorization and detoxification.