Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microbial Biotransformation of Hexavalent Chromium [Cr(VI)] in Tannery Wastewater

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Microbial Bioremediation & Biodegradation

Abstract

Tannery wastewater contains hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], which is one of the most prevalent contaminants due to its essential applications in tannery industries. Tannery wastewater also contains a complex of organic, inorganic, and dissolved solids which are more carcinogenic to human and aquatic life and result in adverse effects on the environment; hence treatment of these pollutants is a significant concern to the society. The removal of Cr(VI) by microorganisms predominantly occurs through biotransformation and adsorption, where the mechanism mainly depends on the surface nature of the biosorbent and the availability of the reductants. Hexavalent chromium removal using relevant methods such as biodegradation and microbial bioremediation, are carried out proficiently by the addition of indigenous or exogenous microbes. This elevates the degradation rate of Cr(VI) naturally to achieve remarkably higher removal effeciency in tannery wastewater and bring it to the permissible limits prior to discharge. This chapter mainly focuses on bioremediation and the mechanism of a microbial cell, sources, as well as its effects in a detailed manner for the emerging technologies in industrial applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ackerley DF, Gonzalez CF, Park CH, Blake R, Keyhan M, Matin A (2004) Chromate-reducing properties of soluble flavoproteins from pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol 70(2):873–882

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Apte AD, Tare V, Bose P (2006) Extent of oxidation of Cr (III) to Cr (VI) under various conditions pertaining to natural environment. J Hazard Mater 128(2-3):164–174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Batool R, Yrjala K, Hasnain S (2012) Hexavalent chromium reduction by bacteria from tannery effluent. J Microbiol Biotechnol 22(4):547–554

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benazir JF, Suganthi R, Rajvel D, Pooja MP, Mathithumilan B (2010) Bioremediation of chromium in tannery effluent by microbial consortia. Afr J Biotechnol 9(21):3140–3143

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya A, Gupta A, Kaur A, Malik D (2015) Simultaneous bioremediation of phenol and Cr (VI) from tannery wastewater using bacterial consortium. Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol 3(1):50–55

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung KH, Gu JD (2007) Mechanism of hexavalent chromium detoxification by microorganisms and bioremediation application potential: a review. Int Biodeterior Biodegradation 59(1):8–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Durai G, Rajasimman M (2011) Biological treatment of tannery wastewater—a review. J Environ Sci Technol 4(1):1–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eccles H (1995) Removal of heavy metals from effluent streams—why select a biological process? Int Biodeterior Biodegradation 35(1–3):5–16

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elangovan R, Philip L, Chandraraj K (2010) Hexavalent chromium reduction by free and immobilized cell-free extract of Arthrobacter rhombi-RE. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 160(1):81

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faisal M, Hasnain S (2004) Microbial conversion of Cr (VI) in to Cr (III) in industrial effluent. Afr J Biotechnol 3(11):610–617

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ganguli A, Tripathi AK (1999) Survival and chromate reducing ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in industrial effluents. Lett Appl Microbiol 28(1):76–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta P, Rani R, Chandra A, Varjani S, Kumar V (2019) The role of microbes in chromium bioremediation of tannery effluent. In: Water and wastewater treatment technologies. Springer, Singapore, pp 369–377

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hlihor RM, Apostol LC, Gavrilescu M (2017) Environmental bioremediation by biosorption and bioaccumulation: principles and applications. In: Enhancing Cleanup of environmental pollutants. Springer, Cham, pp 289–315

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ilias M, Rafiqullah IM, Debnath BC, Mannan KSB, Hoq MM (2011) Isolation and characterization of chromium (VI)-reducing bacteria from tannery effluents. Indian J Microbiol 51(1):76–81

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jeyasingh J, Philip L (2005) Bioremediation of chromium contaminated soil: optimization of operating parameters under laboratory conditions. J Hazard Mater 118(1-3):113–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joutey NT, Sayel H, Bahafid W, El Ghachtouli N (2015) Mechanisms of hexavalent chromium resistance and removal by microorganisms. In: Reviews of environmental contamination and toxicology, vol 233. Springer, Cham, pp 45–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaduková J, Virčíková E (2005) Comparison of differences between copper bioaccumulation and biosorption. Environ Int 31(2):227–232

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaksonen AH, Riekkola-Vanhanen ML, Puhakka JA (2003) Optimization of metal sulphide precipitation in fluidized-bed treatment of acidic wastewater. Water Res 37(2):255–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kamaludeen SPB, Arunkumar KR, Ramasamy K (2003) Bioremediation of chromium contaminated environments. Indian J Exp Biol 41:972–985

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karthik C, Ramkumar VS, Pugazhendhi A, Gopalakrishnan K, Arulselvi PI (2017) Biosorption and biotransformation of Cr (VI) by novel Cellulosimicrobium funkei strain AR6. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 70:282–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ksheminska H, Fedorovych D, Babyak L, Yanovych D, Kaszycki P, Koloczek H (2005) Chromium (III) and (VI) tolerance and bioaccumulation in yeast: a survey of cellular chromium content in selected strains of representative genera. Process Biochem 40(5):1565–1572

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malik A (2004) Metal bioremediation through growing cells. Environ Int 30(2):261–278

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mangaiyarkarasi MM, Vincent S, Janarthanan S, Rao TS, Tata BVR (2011) Bioreduction of Cr (VI) by alkaliphilic Bacillus subtilis and interaction of the membrane groups. Saudi J Biol Sci 18(2):157–167

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munawaroh HSH, Gumilar GG, Kartikasari S, Kusumawaty D (2017) Microbial reduction of Cr (VI) into Cr (III) by locally isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa. IOP Conf Ser Mater Sci Eng 180(1):012279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naeem A, Batool R, Jamil N (2013) Cr (VI) reduction by Cellulosimicrobium sp. isolated from tannery effluent. Turk J Biol 37(3):315–322

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Narayani M, Shetty KV (2013) Chromium-resistant bacteria and their environmental condition for hexavalent chromium removal: a review. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 43(9):955–1009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pattanapipitpaisal P, Mabbett AN, Finlay JA, Beswick AJ, Paterson-Beedle M, Essa A et al (2002) Reduction of Cr (VI) and bioaccumulation of chromium by gram positive and gram negative microorganisms not previously exposed to Cr-stress. Environ Technol 23(7):731–745

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pinon-Castillo HA, Brito EMS, Goñi-Urriza M, Guyoneaud R, Duran R, Nevarez-Moorillon GV et al (2010) Hexavalent chromium reduction by bacterial consortia and pure strains from an alkaline industrial effluent. J Appl Microbiol 109(6):2173–2182

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Priester JH, Olson SG, Webb SM, Neu MP, Hersman LE, Holden PA (2006) Enhanced exopolymer production and chromium stabilization in pseudomonas putida unsaturated biofilms. Appl Environ Microbiol 72(3):1988–1996

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raskin I, Ensley BD (2000) Phytoremediation of toxic metals. John Wiley and Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Saranraj P, Sujitha D (2013) Microbial bioremediation of chromium in tannery effluent: a review. Int J Microbiol Res 4(3):305–306

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shukla D, Vankar PS, Srivastava SK (2012) Bioremediation of hexavalent chromium by a cyanobacterial mat. Appl Water Sci 2(4):245–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song Z, Williams CJ, Edyvean RGJ (2003) Tannery wastewater treatment using an upflow anaerobic fixed biofilm reactor (UAFBR). Environ Eng Sci 20(6):587–599

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Srinath T, Verma T, Ramteke PW, Garg SK (2002) Chromium (VI) biosorption and bioaccumulation by chromate resistant bacteria. Chemosphere 48(4):427–435

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava S, Ahmad AH, Thakur IS (2007) Removal of chromium and pentachlorophenol from tannery effluents. Bioresour Technol 98(5):1128–1132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thiele DJ (1995) Metal detoxification in eukaryotic cells. Crisp Data Base of National Institute of Health, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Tripathi M, Garg SK (2013) Co-remediation of pentachlorophenol and Cr6+ by free and immobilized cells of native Bacillus cereus isolate: spectrometric characterization of PCP dechlorination products, bioreactor trial and chromate reductase activity. Process Biochem 48(3):496–509

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (2004) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, vol 1. WHO, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India

    Arukula Deepa & Brijesh Kumar Mishra

Authors
  1. Arukula Deepa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brijesh Kumar Mishra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brijesh Kumar Mishra .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Microbiology Lab, Bharuch, Gujarat, India

    Maulin P. Shah

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Deepa, A., Mishra, B.K. (2020). Microbial Biotransformation of Hexavalent Chromium [Cr(VI)] in Tannery Wastewater. In: Shah, M. (eds) Microbial Bioremediation & Biodegradation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1812-6_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation