A novel lipopeptide bacterial biosurfactant for bioremediation

Abstract

Bioremediation is an efficient tool practiced now a days for the removal of contaminants from contaminated soil and water. In this present study, Cr(VI) contaminated water collected from leather tanning industry in Kandigai, Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, was remediated by biological method in an eco-friendly manner. Amount of Cr(VI) present in raw effluent and centrifuged raw effluent was estimated by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission spectroscopy and the amount determined was 57 and 2.83 mg/l respectively. Bacteria were isolated from the effluent and oil contaminated marine soil. They were identified by phenotypic methods and they were Citrobacter freundii EIB 1, Citrobacter freundii EIB 2 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa EIB 3, and oil contaminated marine soil flora were identified as B. licheniformis OSB 1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa OSB 2. Nature of biosurfactant was characterized and it was found to be lipopeptide biosurfactant. Efficiency of bioremediation process was superior (99 % Cr VI removal) by the biosurfactant produced from the bacteria isolated from oil contaminated marine soil. FTIR analysis was carried out and which revealed the presence of peptides and GC-MS showed the presence of fatty acids hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (1,2-Dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine) and octadecenoic acid methyl ester and a protein derivatives such as 5-methyl enol (3,2-b) pyridine was also present in the biosurfactant produced from oil contaminated marine soil (Pseudomonas aeruginosa OSB 2) and which was found to be a potent candidate to effectively remove the metal contaminant (CrVI) present in the industrial effluent.