Removal of Heavy Metal (Chromium) by Microbes and to Study the Impact of TDS on its Removal Efficiency

Abstract

ndustrial operations such as electroplating, steel manufacturing, leather tanning, wood preservation, ceramics,
glass manufacturing and chemical processing and fertilizer applications release alarmingly higher amounts of
heavy metals into the natural environment, which are detrimental to human health. Of the important metals
Chromium (VI) is regarded as toxic; whereas, others, such as copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc are not as toxic, but
their extensive usage and increasing levels in the environment are of serious concerns .Various techniques have
been employed for the treatment of metal bearing industrial effluents, which usually include precipitation,
adsorption, ion exchange, membrane and electrochemical technologies but these techniques are expensive, not
environment friendly and usually dependent on the concentration of the waste which are ineffective in very diluted
solutions. Therefore, the search for efficient, eco-friendly and cost effective remedies for wastewater treatment has
been initiated. Heavy metal resistant bacteria have significant role in bioremediation of heavy metals in wastewater.
Initially six microbial species Aspergillus Niger,Pseudomonas Putida,Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Pencilium
Crysogenum, Bacillus Thrunengis and Bacillus subtiluss were selected for removal of chromium. but among them
Pseudomonas Putida has shown efficient removal of chromium 100% in 10 ppm,73.08% in 25ppm,34.42%in 50 ppm
and various parameter has been optimized and Waste water also contains high TDS along with heavy metal. So
Impact of varying TDS concentration on removal efficiency for chromium has been studied and results shows that
TDS concentration does have impact on microbial removal for chromium.