Bioremediation of Metal-Polluted Industrial Wastewater with Algal-Bacterial Consortia: A Sustainable Strategy

Kashif Bashir, Sara Khan, Ramzan Ali, Humaira Yasmin, Abdel-Rhman Z. Gaafar (), Fazal E. Azeem Khilgee, Sadia Butt and Amin Ullah ()
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Kashif Bashir: Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University Peshawar, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
Sara Khan: Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University Peshawar, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
Ramzan Ali: Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University Peshawar, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
Humaira Yasmin: Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad 45550, Pakistan
Abdel-Rhman Z. Gaafar: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh P.O. Box 11451, Saudi Arabia
Fazal E. Azeem Khilgee: Agricultural Sciences and Resource Managements in Tropics and Subtropics (ARTS) Programme, University of Boon, 53121 Bonn, Germany
Sadia Butt: Department of Microbiology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan
Amin Ullah: Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University Peshawar, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-23

Abstract: Aquatic pollution is a burning issue nowadays due to urbanization and industrialization. Industrial wastewater (IWW) contains pollutants that pose a great risk to the environment and human beings and is a big challenge for industries. The remediation of IWW by microorganisms is an environmentally friendly technique. This study was carried out to evaluate the pollution of IWW and to use consortia of Bacillus pakistanensis , Lysinibacillus composti, and Cladophora glomerata for bioremediation. The IWW was obtained from the Hayatabad Industrial Estate and was evaluated for physicochemical parameters and metal concentration. A pot experiment was carried out for two weeks to assess the efficiency of the developed consortia. The IWW and tap water (control) were treated with three different consortia ( Bacillus pakistanensis-Cladophora glomerata (CT1, E1), Lysinibacillus composti-Cladophora glomerata (CT2, E2), and Bacillus pakistanensis-Lysinibacillus composti-Cladophora glomerata (CT3, E3). The three pots (CT1, CT2, and CT3) serving as the control were provided with tap water, and the three experimental pots (E1, E2, and E3) were provided with IWW. After treatment, substantial reductions were obtained in the following parameters and percentages: colour 85.7%, electrical conductivity (EC) 40.8%, turbidity 69.6%, sulphide 78.5%, fluoride 38.8%, chloride 62.9%, biological oxygen demand (BOD) 66%, chemical oxygen demand (COD) 81.8%, total suspended solids (TSSs) 82.7%, total dissolved solids (TDSs) 24.6%, Ca hardness 37.2%, Mg hardness 50%, and total hardness 39%. The samples of water were also examined for metal concentrations using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The selected species removed 98.2% of Mn, 94% of Cu, 97.7% of Cr, 91.6% of Cd, 92.8% of Co, 79.6% of Ag, 82.6% of Ni, 98% of Ca, 90% of Mg, and 82.1% of Pb. The BCF values showed by the consortia for Mn, Cu, Cr, Cd, Co, Ag, Ni, Ca, Mg, and Pb were 91.8, 67, 97.5, 83.3, 85.7, 48.1, 80.4, 84.3, 82.5, and 80.3%, respectively. The t-test analysis showed that the treatment with the selected species significantly decreased the metal concentrations in the IWW ( p ≤ 0.05). Overall, the study concludes that metal concentration in the water was decreased significantly by the consortia of algae-bacteria.

Keywords: bioremediation; wastewater; Bacillus pakistanensis; Lysinibacillus composti; Cladophora glomerata; heavy metals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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