Isolation and Screening Chromium Reducing Bacteria from Industrial Effluents and Polluted Soil

In the past few decades, the environmental pollution of toxic heavy metals is the major issue throughout the world since industrial evolution. Chromium is one of the heavy metal whose concentration in the environment is increasing due to different industrial processes.  Bioremediation is the most promising and cost effective technology widely used now a days to clean up both soils and wastewaters containing organic or inorganic contaminants. A variety of microorganisms have been known for their ability to degrade these heavy metals. The current study aimed to isolate Chromium reducing microorganism from industrial effluents and polluted soil. Among all isolated species three bacterial strains have exhibiting high level of resistant to Hexavalent Chromium salts. These three bacterial strains such as SS125, SS31 were identified by various biochemical tests. Then these three strains were further studied for chromium reducing activity and effectiveness of the bioremediation was evaluated. Based on the bioremediation efficiency, the strain (V3) Pseudomonas sp. was selected for the detoxification experiment which exhibits maximum Hexavalent Chromium reduction. Hence we conclude that isolate SS125 has high potential Chromium reducing activity among all isolates and further optimization studies are required to enhance the reducing activity.