Enhanced Biodegradation of Battery-Contaminated Soil Using Bacillus sp. (MZ959824) and Its Phytotoxicity Study

Abstract

Batteries that have been used and thrown away are potential threats to the environment. The aim of the present study is to explore the bacterial bioremediation of the battery-contaminated soil. The battery contaminated soil sample was collected from the municipal compost yard, Vellalore, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The Bacillus sp was isolated by the serial dilution method. The Bacillus strain was identified based on the colony morphology as well as the 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid partial gene sequence and was designated the name HVRCBNR. It was deposited in the GenBank under the accession number Bacillus sp MZ959824. The bacterial growth was evaluated by measuring the optical density of the media (OD600), while the degradation was determined by FTIR analysis. The phytotoxic analysis was performed using Trigonella foenum-graecum to assess the toxicity of the battery waste before and after bacterial treatment. The spectroscopic study showed that the strain HVRCBNR achieved 83.6% degradation. The growth indexes of Trigonella foenum-graecum showed that the biodegraded soil was nonphytotoxic in comparison with the control. This study supports the degradability of the strain HVRCBNR, and this could pave a way for sustainable solution to battery contaminated soil treatment.