Bioremediation of metal(loid) cocktail, struvite biosynthesis and plant growth promotion by a versatile bacterial strain Serratia sp. KUJM3: Exploiting environmental co-benefits

Monojit Mondal; Vineet Kumar; Amit Bhatnagar; Meththika Vithanage; Rangabhashiyam Selvasembian; Balram Ambade; Erik Meers; Punarbasu Chaudhuri; Jayanta Kumar Biswas

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113937

Bioremediation of metal(loid) cocktail, struvite biosynthesis and plant growth promotion by a versatile bacterial strain Serratia sp. KUJM3: Exploiting environmental co-benefits

Environ Res. 2022 Nov;214(Pt 3):113937. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113937. Epub 2022 Aug 3.

Authors

Monojit Mondal¹, Vineet Kumar², Amit Bhatnagar³, Meththika Vithanage⁴, Rangabhashiyam Selvasembian⁵, Balram Ambade⁶, Erik Meers⁷, Punarbasu Chaudhuri⁸, Jayanta Kumar Biswas⁹

Affiliations

¹ Enviromicrobiology, Ecotoxicology and Ecotechnology Research Laboratory (3E-MicroToxTech Lab), Department of Ecological Studies, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, 741235, West Bengal, India.
² Department of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Engineering and Sciences, G D Goenka University, Sohna Road, Gurugram, Haryana, 122103, India.
³ Department of Separation Science, LUT School of Engineering Science, LUT University, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130, Mikkeli, Finland.
⁴ Ecosphere Resilience Research Centre, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka.
⁵ Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur, 613401, Tamil Nadu, India.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, 831014, Jharkhand, India.
⁷ Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
⁸ Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta, 700019, India.
⁹ Enviromicrobiology, Ecotoxicology and Ecotechnology Research Laboratory (3E-MicroToxTech Lab), Department of Ecological Studies, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, 741235, West Bengal, India; International Centre for Ecological Engineering, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, West Bengal, India. Electronic address: jkbiswas@klyuniv.ac.in.

PMID: 35931193
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113937

Abstract

In this study the multiple metal(loid) (As, Cd, Cu and Ni) resistant bacterium Serratia sp. KUJM3 was able to grow in both single and multiple metal(loid) contaminated wastewater and removed them by 34.93-48.80% and 22.93-32%, respectively. It reduced As(v) to As(III) by 68.44-85.06% in a concentration dependent manner. The strain's IAA production potential increased significantly under both metal(loid)s regime. The lentil (Lens culinaris) seed germination and seed production were enhanced with the exogenous bacterial inoculation by 20.39 and 16.43%, respectively. Under both multi-metal(loid) regimes the bacterial inoculation promoted shoot length (22.65-51.34%), shoot dry weight (33.89-66.11%) and seed production (13.46-35%). Under bacterial manipulation the metal(loid)s immobilization increased with concomitant curtailment of translocation in lentil plant by 61.89-75.14% and 59.19-71.14% in shoot and seed, respectively. The strain biomineralized struvite (MgNH₄ PO₄ ·6H₂O) from human urine @ 403 ± 6.24 mg L^-1. The fertilizer potential of struvite was confirmed with the promotion of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) growth traits e.g. leaf number (37.04%), pod number (234%), plant wet weight (65.47%) and seed number (134.52%). Thus Serratia sp. KUJM3 offers multiple benefits of metal(loid)s bioremediation, As(V) reduction, plant growth promotion, and struvite biomineralization garnering a suite of appealing environmental applications.

Keywords: Indole acetic acid; Plant growth; Potentially toxic elements; Serratia sp.; Struvite biomineralization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental
Humans
Lens Plant*
Metals
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Plant Development
Serratia
Soil Pollutants* / analysis
Struvite

Substances

Metals
Metals, Heavy
Soil Pollutants
Struvite