Microbial Bioremediation of Chromium and Development of Enzymatic Biosensor by Enterobacter Aerogenes T2 (GU265554; NII 1111)

Carcinogenic heavy metal chromium, in its hexavalent form (Cr(VI)), is spuriously used in various industrial operations because of its hardness and stability and is found in industrial effluents in concentrations much above WHO’s prescribed limit (50 mg/L). Conventional methods for removing toxic chromium ion (by chemical reduction followed by precipitation, ionexchange and adsorption on activated coal, alum, kaolinite and ash) are costly for large scale treatment. Microbial uptake followed by reduction of toxic Cr(VI) may be very successful since biological strategies provide cost effective green technology. In this study, we have isolated a new powerful chromium resistant bacterium isolated from tannery waste and studied its utilization in bioremediation as well as biosensing of Cr(VI).