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Biofilm-Mediated Heavy Metal Removal from Aqueous System by Multi-Metal-Resistant Bacterial Strain Bacillus sp. GH-s29

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Abstract

Worldwide ever-augmenting urbanization, modernization, and industrialization have contributed to the release of pernicious compounds and a variety of pollutants into the environment. The pollutants discharged due to industrialization are of global concern. Industrial waste and effluent are comprised of hazardous organic and inorganic chemicals including heavy metals which pose a significant threat to the environment and may bring about numerous diseases or abnormalities in human beings. This brings on greater urgency for remediation of these polluted soil and water using sustainable approaches and mechanisms. In the present research, a multi-metal-resistant, gram-positive, non-virulent bacterial strain Bacillus sp. GH-s29 was isolated from contaminated groundwater of Bhojpur district, Bihar, India. The strain had the potential to develop a biofilm that was able to remediate different heavy metals [arsenic, cadmium, and chromium] from individual and multi-heavy metal solutions. Maximum removal for As (V), Cd (II), and Cr (VI) from individual-metal and the multi-metal solution was observed to be 73.65%, 57.37%, 61.62%, and 48.92%, 28.7%, and 35.46%, respectively. SEM-EDX analysis revealed the sequestration of multi-heavy metals by bacterial biofilm. Further characterization by FTIR analysis ensured that the presence of negatively charged functional groups on the biofilm-EPS such as hydroxyl, phosphate, sulfate, and carboxyl helps in binding to the positively charged metal ions. Thus, Bacillus sp. GH-s29 proved to be an effective and economical alternative for different heavy metal remediation from contaminated sites.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this research article (and also its supplementary informatory files).

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India for providing financial support to the research work (DST/TM/WTI/2K16/264). We would also like to express our appreciation to the National Institute of Technology Rourkela for providing the infrastructure and instrumental support to proceed with the work.

Funding

This study has been funded by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (DST/TM/WTI/2K16/264).

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  1. Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha, India

    Sourav Maity, Debapriya Sarkar, Kasturi Poddar, Pritam Patil & Angana Sarkar

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All authors have contributed to the construction of this manuscript. Sourav Maity: Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation, Methodology, Writing–original draft. Debapriya Sarkar: Conceptualization, Investigation, Validation, Writing–original draft. Kasturi Poddar: Methodology, Writing–original draft. Pritam Patil: Writing–original draft. Angana Sarkar: Supervision, Project administration. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Maity, S., Sarkar, D., Poddar, K. et al. Biofilm-Mediated Heavy Metal Removal from Aqueous System by Multi-Metal-Resistant Bacterial Strain Bacillus sp. GH-s29. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 195, 4832–4850 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-022-04288-7

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