Synergism and antagonism among indigenous hydrolytic bacteria from biomedical wastes for the generation of bacterial consortium used as bioremediation agent

Abstract

—The key steps to develop bioremediation agent from indigenous group of hydrolytic bacteria include isolation of the bacteria from polluted site followed by evaluation on pathogenicity levels and interactions among the isolated strains. This study aimed to evaluate synergism and antagonism between non-pathogenic and pathogenic groups of hydrolytic bacteria isolated from liquid biomedical wastes of hospitals in Semarang. Interactions among indigenous, non-pathogenic, hydrolytic bacterial isolates i.e. Bacillus velezensis R1.3, B. amyloliquefaciens R1.6, B. amyloliquefaciens R1.14, B. velezensis R1.16, B. licheniformis R2.5, and B. amyloliquefaciens R2.9 and with 20 other pathogenic ones were evaluated using overlay and cross streak methods. Observation was based on the formation of inhibition zone as evidence of antagonistic interaction and the absence of this zone as proof of synergic interaction. As results, the 6 non-pathogenic isolates are all synergic among each other, yet antagonistic against most of the 20 pathogenic ones. As conclusion, the obtained 6 non-pathogenic isolates could be mixed as bacterial consortium and used as major component of bioremediation agent of liquid hospital waste.