Prospective bioremediation of toxic heavy metals in water by surfactant exopolysaccharide of Ochrobactrum pseudintermedium using cost-effective substrate.

Globally, the underlying peril of cumulative toxicity of heavy metals in water bodies contaminated by industrial effluents is a matter of great concern to the environmentalists. Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and nickel are particularly liable for this. Such toxic water is not only hazardous to human health but also harmful to aquatic animals. Remedial measures are being taken by physico-chemical techniques, but most of them are neither eco-friendly nor cost-effective. Biological means like bioaccumulation of heavy metals by viable bacteria are often tedious. In the present study, biosorption of heavy metals is successfully expedited by surfactant exopolysaccharide (SEPS) of Ochrobactrum pseudintermedium C1 as a simple, safe, and economically sustainable option utilizing an easily available and cost-effective substrate like molasses extract. Its efficacy in bioremediation of toxic heavy metals like cadmium, nickel, and lead have been studied by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and verified by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). FTIR and zeta potential studies have also been carried out to explore this novel biosorption potential. Results are conclusive and promising. Moreover, this particular SEPS alone can remediate all these three toxic heavy metals in water. For futuristic applications, it might be a prospective and cost-effective resource for bioremediation of toxic heavy metals in aqueous environment.