REMOVAL OF ARSENIC FROM WATER USING TOLERANT BACTERIA

Abstract

The deadly metalloid arsenic is abundantly found in nature. Under oxic conditions, it typically exists as arsenate, however under reducing conditions, arsenite predominates. The main anthropogenic and natural sources of arsenic pollution in the environment are aquifers and natural sources. Arsenite salts are known to be more hazardous than arsenate because they attach to nearby thiols in pyruvate dehydrogenase, whereas arsenate hinders the process of oxidative phosphorylation. Phosphate transporters, aquaglyceroporins, and the active extrusion system all take up arsenic, which is then reduced by arsenate reductases through a dissimilatory reduction mechanism. Arsenic oxyanions are used by some kinds of microorganisms that are both autotrophic and heterotrophic for energy renewal. Arsenate can be used as a nutrient by some types of microbes during the respiratory process.
Microorganisms frequently exhibit arsenic resistance through detoxification operons. Consequently, using bioremediation could be a practical and cost-efficient strategy to lessen this environmental pollutant. The present study aimed to determining their biosorption ability, calculate the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of arsenic that prevents the growth of 3b bacteria. 0.5gm pellet of 3b was able to remove 79.2% (100-20.88) arsenic from 10mg/L arsenic solution within 1 hour.