Metals-induced functional stress in sulphate-reducing thermophiles

• Published in: 3 Biotech Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 17 - 8
• Main Authors: Hussain, Ali, Qazi, Javed Iqbal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Bacteria; Bioinformatics; Biomaterials; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Cancer Research; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; chromium; copper; Desulfotomaculum; effluents; Heavy metals; microbial activity; Microorganisms; nickel; Original; Original Article; Pollutants; Stem Cells; sulfate-reducing bacteria; sulfates; thermophilic microorganisms; toxicity; Lahore Pakistan; Pakistan; Sulphate-reducing bacteria; Metallic pollutants; Economical bioremediation; Bioprecipitation; Thermophiles
• ISSN: 2190-572X; 2190-5738
• DOI: 10.1007/s13205-015-0342-1

All toxic metals have been known to inhibit different activities of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) at different concentrations. The present study delineates functional responses of two thermophilic SRB species ( Desulfotomaculum reducens -HA1 and Desulfotomaculum hydrothermale -HA2) to toxic metals. Bacterial activity was assessed in terms of sulphate reduction and metal precipitation employing four concentrations (1, 5, 10 and 15 ppm) of three dissolved toxic metals (Cu, Cr and Ni) independently. Both sulphidogenic bacterial species showed results in a very narrow range of fluctuations. In general, bioprecipitation and sulphate reduction were pronounced at lower concentrations (1 and 5 ppm) and got inhibited at higher concentrations (10 and 15 ppm). The order of precipitation and sulphate reduction for the subject metals was Ni > Cr > Cu. The findings of this study will be helpful in developing economical and environmental friendly bioremediation process(es) tending to operate at extreme conditions around the concentrations in indicated suitable metals-loaded effluents.