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Distinct and effective biotransformation of hexavalent chromium by a novel isolate under aerobic growth followed by facultative anaerobic incubation

  • Applied Microbial and Cell Physiology
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Abstract

A bacterial isolate (G161) with high Cr(VI)-reducing capacity was isolated from Cr(VI)-contaminated soil and identified as Leucobacter sp. on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The isolate was a Gram-positive, aerobic rod. The hexavalent chromate-reducing capability of the isolate was investigated under three conditions of oxygen stress. The isolate was found to reduce Cr(VI) under all conditions but performed most effectively during aerobic growth followed by facultative anaerobic incubation. Under these conditions, the isolate tolerated K2Cr2O7 concentrations up to 1,000 mg/l and completely reduced 400 mg/l K2Cr2O7 within 96 h. The strain reduced Cr(VI) over a wide range of pH (6.0–11.0) and temperatures (15–45 °C) with optimum performance at pH 8.0 and 35 °C. The presence of other metals, such as Ca2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+, induced no effect or else played a stimulatory role on Cr(VI)-reduction activity of the strain. The strain was tested for Cr(VI) removal in wastewaters and proved capable of completely reducing the contained Cr(VI). This is the novel report of a bacterial growth and Cr(VI)-reduction process under sequential aerobic growth and facultative anaerobic conditions. The study suggested that the isolate possesses a distinct capability for Cr(VI) reduction which could be harnessed for the detoxification of chromate-contaminated wastewaters.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant (Y3110062) to Shimei Ge from the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, 325035, China

    Shimei Ge, Maohong Zhou, Xinjiao Dong & Yang Lu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 320, Yueyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, China

    Shichao Ge

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  1. Shimei Ge
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  2. Maohong Zhou
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  3. Xinjiao Dong
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  4. Yang Lu
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Correspondence to Shichao Ge.

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Ge, S., Zhou, M., Dong, X. et al. Distinct and effective biotransformation of hexavalent chromium by a novel isolate under aerobic growth followed by facultative anaerobic incubation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 97, 2131–2137 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4361-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-012-4361-0

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