Deciphering the plant growth-promoting traits of bacteria capable of sodium dodecyl sulfate removal from graywater: a sustainable approach for water reuse for irrigation.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), an anionic detergent found in cleaning products and cosmetics, is one of the chemical pollutants in waterways. SDS-utilizing bacteria were isolated from soil and water samples using 0.05% SDS basal medium. Three bacterial isolates were selected for 16S rRNA sequencing based on their ability to solubilize phosphate, potassium, and zinc, and they were identified as Pseudomonas putida MSK86 OR192890, Klebsiella pneumoniae NET12 OR345422, and Enterobacter sp. MSK86 OR398804. Enterobacter sp. MSK86 and K. pneumoniae NET12 lowered the SDS concentration in the sample 84.78% and 75.65%, respectively, while P. putida MSK86 reduced it 33.43% on the sixth day of incubation. A phosphate-potassium-zinc co-inoculum was prepared using Enterobacter and Pseudomonas species. Laundry wash water was added with the bacteria, individually and co-inoculum, and the fortified water was used to irrigate the Capsicum annuum L. seedlings. On the 45th day, the plants were harvested, and total glucose, protein, chlorophyll, and proline were checked by comparing control plants. Enterobacter sp. MSK86 increased carbohydrate and proline levels by 37.22 mg/g (± 0.54 SE) and 2.44 mg/g (± 0.1 SE), while K. pneumoniae NET12-treated plants showed an increase in chlorophyll by 1.95 mg/g (± 0.02 SE) and total protein by 1.94 mg/g (± 0.03 SE). The bacteria in this study showed they could lower SDS levels in graywater and improve farming by adding nutrients to the soil and plants, offering a sustainable way to tackle detergent pollution, fertilizer use, and water scarcity.