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Toxicity of Hexavalent Chromium and Its Reduction by Bacteria Isolated from Soil Contaminated with Tannery Waste

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Abstract

An Arthrobacter sp. and a Bacillus sp., isolated from a long-term tannery waste contaminated soil, were examined for their tolerance to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and their ability to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III), a detoxification process in cell suspensions and cell extracts. Both bacteria tolerated Cr(VI) at 100 mg/ml on a minimal salts agar medium supplemented with 0.5% glucose, but only Arthrobacter could grow in liquid medium at this concentration. Arthrobacter sp. could reduce Cr(VI) up to 50 μg/ml, while Bacillus sp. was not able to reduce Cr(VI) beyond 20 μg/ml. Arthrobacter sp. was distinctly superior to the Bacillus sp. in terms of their Cr(VI)-reducing ability and resistance to Cr(VI). Assays with permeabilized (treated with toluene or Triton X 100) cells and crude extracts demonstrated that the Cr(VI) reduction was mainly associated with the soluble protein fraction of the cell. Arthrobacter sp. has a great potential for bioremediation of Cr(VI)-containing waste.

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Received: 13 June 2002 / Accepted: 13 September 2002

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Megharaj, M., Avudainayagam, S. & Naidu, R. Toxicity of Hexavalent Chromium and Its Reduction by Bacteria Isolated from Soil Contaminated with Tannery Waste. Curr Microbiol 47, 0051–0054 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-002-3889-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-002-3889-0

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