Application of Bacillus sp. NITD 19 for Utilization of Cyanide as Nutrient Source

Cyanide is highly toxic to our ecosystem. The main contributor of cyanide to the environment is the untreated or improperly treated wastewater coming from various industries like steel, metallurgical, mining, tanning, etc. Bioremediation is an inexpensive yet effective measure, compared to physico-chemical methods, for removal of cyanide from industrial effluents. In the present study, one indigenous bacterial strain was collected and isolated from the outfall of nearby coke-oven plant and identified as Bacillus sp. NITD 19 through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The test strain was used for removal of cyanide from synthetic solution. Lethal dose analysis was performed and the strain was found to grow up to 100 mg/L initial cyanide concentration. One factor at a time (OFAT) analysis was performed to get the effective operational parameters for maximum removal by varying pH (6–10), inoculum load (1–4%), temperature (25–37 oC), and initial concentration (20–100 mg/L) in a judicial manner. Time variation study of cyanide removal was carried out then. FTIR study was performed for biomass characterization.