Isolation and identification of chromium reducing bacteria from tannery effluent

Abstract Industrial wastes are capable of polluting the soil and groundwater. The tanning industry is considered as a potential environmental polluting agent through out the world. Chromium (Cr), a toxic heavy metal, is a major constituent of tannery waste, and its accumulation in soil and water causes serious environmental issues of increasing public concern in India particularly in Tamil Nadu. The present study deals with isolation and identification of chromium reducing bacteria isolated from tannery effluent collected from Crompet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (latitude 12°57′51.8″N and longitude 80°07′58.1″E). Two chromium reducing bacteria were isolated; and the identification of the isolates were done by 16 s rRNA sequencing followed by BLAST results as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Mangrovibacter yixingensis. Furthermore the presence of chromium reductase gene in the isolated bacteria was confirmed by PCR techniques. Bioremediation using bacteria may provide an alternative or aid conventional methods of metal removal/metal recovery. The newly identified chromium reducing bacteria would be useful for the detoxification of heavy metal contaminated tannery effluent and metal recovery in mining process.