Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

SCREENING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES FOR DEGRADATION OF RECALCITRANT POLLUTANTS FROM RIVER WATER

Nupur Raghav, Uma Sharma, Parul Singh, Shweta Sharma, Akshita Tiwari, Faizan ul Haque Nagrami, Priyambada Kumari, Shweta Sharma and Vijay Laxmi Tripathi

Abstract

The restoration of river ecosystems depends on the utilization of the most effective river water treatment techniques. Yamuna river water of Agra city is heavily contaminated with toxic pollutants including heavy metals and pesticides that causes severe damage to ecological and social aspects. At present, the direct use of river water for the purpose of drinking causes severe hazards due to anthropogenic activities causing environmental pollution in rivers. The four bacterial isolates (Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus fusiformis, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides) were used in the form of monocultures and consortium for the bioremediation purposes. According to the results obtained, a significant reduction were observed in the physico chemical parameters including heavy metals. Hence, bioremediation is considered to be an attractive option for minimizing the pollution load from contaminated river water due to its high efficiency and economical impact than chemical remediation. Thus the current study clearly states that, application of bacterial consortia and monocultures can be used for the treatment of toxic effluents from Yamuna river water.