Isolation and characterization of textile dye degrading Microbes from Ganga (Ganges) water

Abstract

Among the most concerned environmental pollutions that are threatening our biodiversity, water pollution is a major one where effluents from dye-based industries. Textile industries consume a huge volume of azo dyes while up to 50% of dyes find its ultimate way in the water as effluent. In India, after many festivals like Durga Puja, idols are immersed in water. The dyes by which idols are painted affect aquatic livings. The structures of azo dyes consists coupling of diazotized amine with either an amine or a phenol and also contain azo linkage. Most of these dyes are potentially toxic to aquatic life and some are even carcinogenic and mutagenic to humans. Furthermore, colour of the dyestuff interrupts the aquatic environment by reducing light penetration, gas solubility and interference of phytoplankton’s photosynthesis. Unfortunately, most azo dyes are recalcitrant to aerobic degradation by bacterial cells. However, there are microorganisms that have the ability to reductively cleave azo bonds under aerobic conditions. So our goal is to isolate and identify some potential dye degrading bacteria from polluted Ganga water and characterize them biochemically.