Isolation of Fluoride Resistant Microorganisms from Fluoride Contaminated Ground Water Samples of Nalgonda district and their role in Bioremediation

Thirumala Mothe ^1*,  Patnam Umashankar ² and Vishnuvardhan Reddy Sultanpuram³

¹Department of Applied Biosciences, Microbial Ecology Laboratory,  UCS&I, Mahatma Gandhi University, Anneparthy,Yellareddygudem (PO), Nalgonda-508254, Telangana, India.

²Bioanalytical Department, Axis clinicals, Hyderabad.

³Microbztech Lab Pvt. Limited, Plot No. 102, Phase-I, Sri Sai Dwarakapuri Colony, Cherlapally, Nalgonda-508001, Telangana, India.

Corresponding Author E-mail: thirumala_21@yahoo.com

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2900

ABSTRACT: Consuming of water contaminated with high fluoride concentration for a very long time causes health problems such as, dental and skeletal fluorosis. Hence, defluoridation of water is essentially required before consumption, when water is contaminated with high fluoride concentration. In this present study, research was focussed on to isolate bacteria which are showing fluoride resistantance from samples of ground water from high fluoride affected regions of Nalgonda. After analysis of 10 samples from different areas of Nalgonda district, two samples of ground water from Narketpally and Nampally showed the high fluoride concentrations of 9.18 ppm and 7.55 ppm respectively. Hence, in the present study, Narketpally ground water sample with highest ppm was considered to isolate fluoride resistant bacteria. A total  of eight fluoride resistant organisms were purified from this sample with varying fluoride resistance on Luria Bertani agar with varying fluoride concentraion from 25mg/L to 600mg/L at pH 7. Among the eight strains isolated, three strains MB1, F and G were showing high fluoride resistance (up to 500mg/L), which were further explored for their role in bioremediation of fluoride. In batch mode study, MB1 strain showed high fluoride degradation of 68%, whereas, F and G strains showed 57% and 44%fluoride removal, respectively, when fluoride concentration was present at 20 mgL^-1 at 30 °C temperature and pH 7, with dextrose (10 g) utilised as source of carbon per 100 mL media after incubation of 8 days. Results indicate that, MB1 possibly a potential fluoride resistant bacterium with high fluoride bioremediation capacity.

KEYWORDS: Bioremediation of Fluoride; Fluoride Resistant Bacteria; Nalgonda District

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