Characterization of bacterial diversity and assessing the cyanide biodegradation potential of bacterial isolates from gold processing plants

Cyanide is the basic component of many industrial processes, among which gold processing, being very toxic or even lethal. Treatment, with help microorganisms, can be used effectively to reduce load harmful chemicals into environment. The combination microbiological methods and molecular tools allowed inferring presence a dominant population composition varied both in places origin method used. phylogenetic affiliations bacteria were determined by sequencing 16S rRNA gene. isolates identified, as Bacillus Enterococcus capable degrade 41.9 27.5 mg CN- L-1 respectively. This study provides information about diverse bacterial community associated residual effluents from cyanidation processes Colombia suggests that their could play role biological degradation cyanide compounds, offering an alternative for mining wastewater treatment.