Optimization of simultaneous removal of Cr (VI) and phenol by a native bacterial consortium: its use for bioaugmentation of co-polluted effluents.

ONTAÑON O.M; GONZALEZ P; AGOSTINI E

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2015 vol. 1119 p. 1011 - 1022

1364-5072

AIMS: This study was designed to isolate, identify andcharacterize micro-organisms or mixed cultures capable of simultaneouslyremoving Cr (VI) and phenol in the surrounding area of a tannery localized inElena, Córdoba, Argentina. In addition, nutritional and physical factors wereoptimized in order to improve the removal efficiency in a real effluent.METHODS AND RESULTS: The consortium SFC 500-1, composed of two bacterialstrains belonging to Acinetobacter and Bacillus genus, was isolated from theheavily polluted wastewater discharge channel of a local tannery. SFC 500-1 wasable to remove phenol at environmentally relevant concentrations(1000 mg l(-1) ) and reduce Cr (VI) to Cr (III), which wasimmobilized in the bacterial biomass. The consortium simultaneously removedthese contaminants under a wide range of physicochemical conditions anddifferent growth media, even in a tannery effluent.CONCLUSION: The ability of SFC 500-1 to simultaneously reduceCr (VI) and degrade phenol in different synthetic growth media and even in theeffluent from which it was isolated with high efficiency makes this consortiuma potential candidate for the biotreatment of effluents.SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This finding is important, taking into account thatindustrial effluents present complex mixtures of toxic substances as well asnative flora which often affect the bioremediation process. Considering theecological advantages of using native bacteria for bioremediation, as well asthe high efficiency of the consortium SFC 500-1 to simultaneously remove Cr(VI) and phenol, this could be a suitable biological system to improve thebiotreatment of polluted effluents through a bioaugmentation strategy.