Color removal ability of a streptomycin resistant decolorizing strain Rhodococcus erythropolis (ATCC:4277.1)

Area of Science:

• Environmental Microbiology
• Bioremediation
• Dye Decolorization

Background:

• Azo dyes are widely used in textile industries, posing environmental challenges due to their persistence and toxicity.
• Microbial decolorization offers a promising eco-friendly approach for treating dye-contaminated wastewater.
• Rhodococcus erythropolis (ATCC 4277.1) is a streptomycin-resistant mutant known for decolorizing Orange II and Amido Black dyes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the color removal capacity of Rhodococcus erythropolis (ATCC 4277.1) for specific azo dyes: Red 22, V2RP, and RP2B.
• To compare the decolorization efficiency of R. erythropolis (ATCC 4277.1) with that of Pseudomonas luteola, a wild-type decolorizing strain.

Main Methods:

• Culturing R. erythropolis (ATCC 4277.1) in media containing Red 22, V2RP, or RP2B azo dyes.
• Incubation for five days to observe color removal and assess degradation.
• Quantifying specific color removal (SCR) by both R. erythropolis and P. luteola.

Main Results:

• R. erythropolis (ATCC 4277.1) demonstrated color removal percentages of 70% for Red 22, 30% for V2RP, and 23% for RP2B within five days.
• Decolorization by R. erythropolis occurred via degradation, as indicated by the unchanged color of the bacterial cells.
• The specific color removal (SCR) for RP2B was 1.52 mg/g for R. erythropolis, significantly lower than the 31.7 mg/g observed for P. luteola.

Conclusions:

• R. erythropolis (ATCC 4277.1) possesses the capability to decolorize various azo dyes through a degradation process.
• Despite its decolorizing ability, R. erythropolis (ATCC 4277.1) exhibits a substantially lower efficiency compared to the wild-type strain P. luteola.
• Further research may be needed to enhance the decolorization potential of R. erythropolis for industrial applications.