Actively engaged in bacterial degradation and detoxification of industrial waste i.e., distillery waste after anaerobic digestion, pulp paper mill waste and pyridine, picoline raffinate. A leading role have been achieved in this area by looking physic-chemical characterization of various pollutants and their effect on environment under various funded project from national funding agencies (DBT, DOEn, CSIR). The potential bacterial strains also have been isolated and identified i.e. ITRC PK1 (Defluvibacter lusatiae: DQ659618), ITRC PK3 (Bacillus thuringiensis; DQ779013), ITRC PK4 (Bacillus brevis; DQ779014), ITRC PK5 (Bacillus sp.; DQ779015), ITRCrnbs1 (Alcaligenes sp.; DQ659619), ITRCrnbs2 (Alcaligenes faecalis; DQ435024), ITRCrnbs3 (Bacillus sp.; DQ659620) and ITRCrnbs4 (Alcaligenes sp.; DQ779012) for degradation of melanoidin, distillery effluent in lab and 500 lit capacity bioreactor. Further, the enhanced role of wetland plant for the distillery effluent decolourisation after bacterial degradation in optimized at pilot scale for the development of detoxification technique for the distillery effluent. The culturabale rhizospheric bacterial community is identified to see their role for bioremediation of industrial waste pollutants in environment. The section, also has sincerely taken leading role to the study degradation and decolourisation of lignin and pentachlorophenol (PCP) from pulp paper mill effluent. The potential bacterial strains have been isolated and tested for its efficacy for lignin and PCP metabolism in different environmental condition is reported. Further, to understand the microbial degradation mechanism of melanoidin, lignin and PCP as hazardous pollutant present in effluent (distillery and pulp paper mill) is in process which unknown world over. Section also has done significant work for the degradation of pyridine and picoline raffinate. Section has facility for isolation and characterization for bacterial strains from different environmental sample.

• Detail physico-chemical investigation of various pollutants present in distillery and pulp paper mill effluent.

• Isolation and molecular characterization of potential bacterial strains capable for degradation /detoxification of distillery and pulp paper mill effluent.

• Exploration of bacterial degradation mechanism of complex hazardous pollutants (melanoidin, chlorolignin, chlorophenol) present in distillery and pulp paper mill effluent.

• Development of suitable biological (bacterial /wetland plant) detoxification technique for safe disposal of post methanated distillery effluent and pulp paper mill waste in Indian environment.

One national patent has been filed for bacterial decolorization of anaerobically digested distillery effluent at laboratory scale, while another patent has been filed on a cost effective chemical process for formaldehyde removal from pyridine containing wastewater for environmental safety. The detoxification of distillery effluent through Bacillus thuringiensis (MTCC4.14) enhanced phytoremediation potential of Spirodela polyrrhiza, L. Schliden (Kumar and Chandra, 2004). The decolorization and detoxification of synthetic molasses melanoidins by individual and mixed culture condition (Kumar and Chandra, 2006). The biological decolorization of anaerobically treated distillery effluent by wetland plant treatment system after bacterial degradation at pilot scale is also optimized (as shown in Fig.1) . This work is under way for patent application.

Figure: (a) Represents to a view of PMDE at industrial scale after extended aeration (b), PMDE decolourisation after bacterial treatment in 800 L capacity reactor (c), view of constructed wetland treatment system after integration of bacterial pretreated PMDE for decolourisation (d) and the view of final decolourisation PMDE after bacterial and wetland plant treatment in 500 L capacity reservoir.

Bacterial mediated photodecolourisation is also noted for post methanated distillery effluent. This can be used for decolorization of distillery effluent at industrial using different size lagoon. The metabolic characterization of degraded maillard product by LC-MS-MS and pyrolysis GC-MS is under way to understand the degradative mechanism of complex colored natural polymer of distillery effluent (Melanoidin). In addition ITRC EM1 and ITRC EM2 also identified as Bacillus cereus (DQ435020) and Alcaligens faecalis (DQ435021) respectively for degradation of pyridine and picoline. Furthermore, the potential aerobic bacterial strains of Paenibacillus sp. (AY952466), Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus (AY858831) and Bacillus sp. (AY952465) and Serratia maecescens (DQ002385), for degradation of lignin and pentachlorophenol (PCP) has been identified through biochemical and molecular technique. Further, the low molecular weight metabolic product of lignin by these bacterial strains also has been reported through GC-MS analysis.

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