Assessment of chromium-contaminated groundwater using a thiosulfate-oxidizing bacteria (TOB) biosensor

The effect of Cr(6+)-contaminated groundwater was assessed using thiosulfate-oxidizing bacteria (TOB). Electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and sulfate production were determined based on thiosulfate oxidation. Final pH values in the different test treatments of Cr(6+)-contaminated groundwater (50-1000 μg Cr(6+)L(-1)) ranged from 2.02 ± 0.09 to 7.76 ± 0.07 and EC ranged from 5.95 ± 0.03 to 3.63 ± 0.03 mS cm(-1). Inhibition of TOB due to Cr(6+) was between 16.7% and 100%, with higher levels of inhibition occurring at higher Cr(6+) concentrations. The median effective concentration (EC50) was 78.96 μg Cr(6+)L(-1). These data demonstrate that TOB can detect less than 100 μg L(-1) of Cr(6+) in the groundwater and can be used as an effective bioassay for toxicity assessment.