Cytotoxic and genotoxic assessment of agricultural soils from an industrial region.

Industrial effluents contain hazardous substances that can be a serious threat to the agriculture and human health. In the present study, the cytotoxic and genotoxic impacts of agricultural soil from the industrial area of Dera Bassi (Punjab, India) have been evaluated. Assays such as defects in DNA repair in K-12 mutants of Escherichia coli and chromosomal aberrations in Allium cepa were used to estimate the acute toxicity and chromosomal mutagenesis, respectively.

Mutagenicity and genotoxicity assessment of industrial wastewaters.

The genotoxicity of industrial wastewaters from Jajmau (Kanpur), was carried out by Ames Salmonella/microsome test, DNA repair-defective mutants, and Allium cepa anaphase-telophase test. Test samples showed maximum response with TA98 strain with and without metabolic activation. Amberlite resins concentrated wastewater samples were found to be more mutagenic as compared to those of liquid-liquid extracts (hexane and dichloromethane extracts).

Cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of tannery waste contaminated soils.

Soil samples from agricultural fields in the vicinity of industrial area of Jajmau, Kanpur (India) were collected and found to be heavily contaminated with various toxic heavy metals. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of organic compounds mainly phthalates in contaminated soils. Samples were extracted using dichloromethane (DCM) and hexane solvents, and the extracts were assayed for genotoxic potential using three different bioassays namely Ames Salmonella/mammalian microsome test, DNA repair defective Escherichia coli K-12 mutants and Allium cepa chromosomal aberration assay.

Prediction of biosorption of total chromium by Bacillus sp. using artificial neural network.

An artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to predict the biosorption efficiency of Bacillus sp. for the removal of total chromium from aqueous solution based on 360 data sets obtained in a laboratory batch study. Experimental parameters affecting the biosorption process such as pH, contact time and initial concentration of chromium were studied.

Biosorption of metal ions from aqueous solution and tannery effluent by Bacillus sp. FM1.

The metal binding capacity of Bacillus sp. FM1 isolated from soil irrigated with tannery effluent was assessed using synthetic metal solutions and tannery wastewater. Biosorption of Cr(VI) and Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions using Bacillus was investigated as a function of pH, initial metal ion concentration and contact time.

Hexavalent chromium reduction by Bacillus sp. strain FM1 isolated from heavy-metal contaminated soil.

A Cr(VI) reducing bacterial strain FM1 was isolated from heavy metal contaminated agricultural soil irrigated with tannery effluents of Jajmau, Kanpur (India), and was identified as Bacillus sp. on the basis of biochemical methods and 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. FM1 strain was found to be resistant to some toxic heavy metals (Cr(VI), Cr(III), Cu²+, Co²+, Cd²+, Ni²+ and Zn²+) up to several fold concentrations to the normal levels occurring in highly polluted region.