An assessment of the bio-remedial potential of Rhodospirillum rubrum under different conditions

摘要

Rhodospirillum rubrum is a purple nonsulfur bacterium that can grow aerobically or anaerobically. It has diverse metabolism as it has the ability to live through cellular respiration, fermentation, photosynthesis, or photoautotrophic growth. Therefore, it can be used as a potent bioremedial agent. An attempt was therefore made to evaluate its effectiveness in bioremediation of waste water, particularly contaminated with sewage waste. Certain physico-chemical parameters for the assessment of quality of sewage contaminated water were considered, including pH, BOD, nitrates, sulphates, chlorides and ammonia. Parameters were tested before, during and after the bioremedial treatment with Rhodospirillum rubrum. A comparison amongst three stages of testing was made, which has been of great help in assessing the bioremedial impact of Rhodospirillum rubrum. The outcome of the study indicates that Rhodospirillum rubrum is a potent bioremedial agent in improving the quality of water, contaminated with sewage waste. It can oxidise the organic load present in the sewage waste, even in the absence of oxygen.