Bioremediation of Heavy Metals
and Toxic Chemicals from Muttukadu
Lake, Chennai by Biosurfactant
and Biomass Treatment Strategies
C. Elizabeth Rani, V. Balaji Ayyadurai, and K. K. Kavitha
Abstract Bioremediation is the promising strategy of bringing back the environment to the natural stage by means of biological treatment. Biosurfactants are microbial products which possess many applications over traditional methods. Hence
biosurfactants can be widely used for bioremediation process. In this study, a novel
biosurfactant- rhamnolopid was applied for bioremediation of heavy metals, environmental toxic pollution removal and stain decolorizer. For this, water sample was
collected from Muttukadu lake to check the amount of heavy metals present in it by
Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and also to screen the toxic functional groups
in the water sample by FTIR analysis. In additional to this stain removal application
of rhamnolipid type of biosurfactant was also revealed. Pseudomonas aeroginosa
was isolated from the metal contaminated automobile industry at Kandigai. Selected
strain was subjected to phenotypic characterization and following that biosurfactant was produced by acid precipitation method. The produced biosurfactant was
subjected to preliminary assays and FTIR for structural confirmation of rhamnolopid
type of biosurfactnt. Before the treatment of heavy metals and after the treatment
of heavy metals and toxic functional groups were examined by Atomic absorption spectroscopy and FTIR respectively. After the treatment of biosurfactant the
amount of Chromium and Lead was decreased. Toxic compounds like Chlorofluro
alkanes and alkanes were completely removed. To this treatment, a comparitive study
was carried out with respect to biosurfactant and biomass treatment strategy. Stain
removal application was evaluated using commercially available Azo dye. Stain
removal was noticed by physical examination after the treatment of biosurfactant to
the stained cloth pieces.
Keywords Bioremediation · Biosurfactant · Heavy metals · Chlorofluro alkane ·
Atomic absorption spectroscopy · FTIR · Azo dye
C. Elizabeth Rani (B) · V. Balaji Ayyadurai
Department of Biotechnology, Hindustan College of Arts and Science, Chennai 603103, Tamil
Nadu, India
e-mail: elizabeth.juneius7@gmail.com
K. K. Kavitha
Department of Environmental and Herbal Science, Tamil University, Thanjavur 613010, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Prashanthi et al. (eds.), Bioremediation and Green Technologies, Environmental
Science and Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64122-1_6
67
and Toxic Chemicals from Muttukadu
Lake, Chennai by Biosurfactant
and Biomass Treatment Strategies
C. Elizabeth Rani, V. Balaji Ayyadurai, and K. K. Kavitha
Abstract Bioremediation is the promising strategy of bringing back the environment to the natural stage by means of biological treatment. Biosurfactants are microbial products which possess many applications over traditional methods. Hence
biosurfactants can be widely used for bioremediation process. In this study, a novel
biosurfactant- rhamnolopid was applied for bioremediation of heavy metals, environmental toxic pollution removal and stain decolorizer. For this, water sample was
collected from Muttukadu lake to check the amount of heavy metals present in it by
Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and also to screen the toxic functional groups
in the water sample by FTIR analysis. In additional to this stain removal application
of rhamnolipid type of biosurfactant was also revealed. Pseudomonas aeroginosa
was isolated from the metal contaminated automobile industry at Kandigai. Selected
strain was subjected to phenotypic characterization and following that biosurfactant was produced by acid precipitation method. The produced biosurfactant was
subjected to preliminary assays and FTIR for structural confirmation of rhamnolopid
type of biosurfactnt. Before the treatment of heavy metals and after the treatment
of heavy metals and toxic functional groups were examined by Atomic absorption spectroscopy and FTIR respectively. After the treatment of biosurfactant the
amount of Chromium and Lead was decreased. Toxic compounds like Chlorofluro
alkanes and alkanes were completely removed. To this treatment, a comparitive study
was carried out with respect to biosurfactant and biomass treatment strategy. Stain
removal application was evaluated using commercially available Azo dye. Stain
removal was noticed by physical examination after the treatment of biosurfactant to
the stained cloth pieces.
Keywords Bioremediation · Biosurfactant · Heavy metals · Chlorofluro alkane ·
Atomic absorption spectroscopy · FTIR · Azo dye
C. Elizabeth Rani (B) · V. Balaji Ayyadurai
Department of Biotechnology, Hindustan College of Arts and Science, Chennai 603103, Tamil
Nadu, India
e-mail: elizabeth.juneius7@gmail.com
K. K. Kavitha
Department of Environmental and Herbal Science, Tamil University, Thanjavur 613010, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Prashanthi et al. (eds.), Bioremediation and Green Technologies, Environmental
Science and Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64122-1_6
67