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. 2022 Nov 23;12(1):20197.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-24797-z.

Reduction of hexavalent chromium using bacterial isolates and a microbial community enriched from tannery effluent

Eva Plestenjak  1 , Barbara Kraigher  1 , Simona Leskovec  1 , Ines Mandic Mulec  1 , Stefan Marković  2   3 , Janez Ščančar  2   3 , Radmila Milačič  4   5
Affiliations

Reduction of hexavalent chromium using bacterial isolates and a microbial community enriched from tannery effluent

Eva Plestenjak et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

We investigated microbial growth in increasing concentrations of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and its reduction by a microbial community enriched from tannery effluent and by the bacterial strains isolated from the enriched community. The bacterial growth was monitored by measuring the optical cell density (OD650), while the Cr(VI) concentration in the samples was determined using spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). At a Cr(VI) concentration of 100 mg/L, the isolates affiliated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) reached higher optical cell densities, but were in general less effective for Cr(VI) reduction than the isolates affiliated with Mammaliicoccus sciuri (M. sciuri). All three M. sciuri isolates and only one of the seven P. aeruginosa isolates were able to reduce 50% of the Cr(VI) with an initial concentration of 100 mg/L within 24 h (pH 7.1), while the six isolates affiliated with P. aeruginosa were less effective. Compared to the isolated, individual bacterial strains, the enriched microbial community was better adapted to the elevated Cr(VI) concentrations, but needed a longer time (48 h) to reduce the Cr(VI) with the same efficacy as the most efficient individual isolates. The ability of the enriched microbial community and the isolated bacterial strains to reduce the Cr(VI) highlights their potential for use in the rapid bioremediation of wastewaters contaminated with Cr(VI).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart showing the experimental set-up.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Optical cell density of individual isolates as a function of added Cr(VI) concentration to LB medium 24 h after incubation (48 h for isolate 5008).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proportion of reduced Cr(VI) and optical cell density of individual isolates as a function of added Cr(VI) concentration: (A) 100 mg/L and (B) 200 mg/L, to LB medium 24 h after incubation (48 h for isolate 5008).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Influence of different Cr(VI) concentrations on cell density (OD at 650 nm) of enriched microbial community after 24 and 48 h of incubation in LB media.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Proportion of reduced Cr(VI) by enriched microbial community in LB media treated with different Cr(VI) concentrations 24 or 48 h after incubation.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Proportion of reduced Cr(VI) in LB media treated with different Cr(VI) concentrations 24 or 48 h after incubation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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