isolation and optimization of tobacco decomposing bacillus and lactobacillus sp.

three bacteria from a tobacco industry effluent and one from a sewage sample were isolated on a medium comprising of 1% tobacco powder as sole source of nutrients. bacteria isolated from the industrial waste water were identified as bacillus cereus, b. alvei and b. circulans. while, lactobacillus sp. was isolated from the sewage sample. the bacteria were optimized for various growth conditions in a medium comprising of aqueous extract of 1% tobacco powder in miii. provision of 0.1% molasses (miii) enhanced growth of b.cereus as compared to its cultivation in mii. growth of b.cereus up to two weeks in molasses supplemented 1% tobacco powder (miv) medium resulted into retroprogressive decreases in total suspended matter, ash content and total organic matter. so that at the last sampling period these parameter reduced up to 92%, 82% and 42%, respectively as compared to control values. the bacterial isolates in general and the b.cereus practically appear promising for designing in situ biotreatment plants for tobacco processing units and are likely to add in reducing environmental contamination originating from tobacco allied toxic compounds.