Bioprocess approaches for the removal of selenium from industrial waste and wastewater by Pseudomonas stutzeri NT-I

Abstract

Pseudomonas stutzeri NT-I, a "versatile" selenium-metabolizing bacterium isolated from drainage water of a selenium refinery plant, reduces selenate into selenite under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and selenite into elemental selenium and volatile organic selenocompounds under aerobic condition. This chapter reviews the nature of the selenium metabolism of NT-I bacterial strain and its application for selenium removal from waste/wastewater such as selenium refinery wastewater, sewage sludge incineration ash, and cement production wastes, which provide study cases aiming at the biotreatment of selenium.