Decolorization and detoxification of Congo red and textile industry effluent by an isolated bacterium Pseudomonas sp. SU-EBT.

The 16S rRNA sequence and biochemical characteristics revealed the isolated organism as Pseudomonas sp. SU-EBT. This strain showed 97 and 90% decolorization of a recalcitrant dye, Congo red (100 mg l(-1)) and textile industry effluent with 50% reduction in COD within 12 and 60 h, respectively. The optimum pH and temperature for the decolorization was 8.0 and 40 degrees C, respectively. Pseudomonas sp. SU-EBT was found to tolerate the dye concentration up to 1.0 g l(-1). Significant induction in the activity of intracellular laccase suggested its involvement in the decolorization of Congo red. The metabolites formed after decolorization of Congo red, such as p-dihydroxy biphenyl, 8-amino naphthol 3-sulfonic acid and 3-hydroperoxy 8-nitrosonaphthol were characterized using FTIR and GC-MS. Phytotoxicity study revealed nontoxic nature of the degradation metabolites to Sorghum bicolor, Vigna radiata, Lens culinaris and Oryza sativa plants as compared to Congo red and textile industry effluent. Pseudomonas sp. SU-EBT decolorized several individual textile dyes, dye mixtures and textile industry effluent, thus it is a useful strain for the development of effluent treatment methods in textile processing industries.