Characterization of a Bioflocculant (MBF-UFH) Produced by Bacillus sp. AEMREG7

Applications of silver nanoparticles synthesized from Pichia kudriavzevii bioflocculant isolated from Kombucha tea SCOBY

Studying the utilization of natural products in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) recently appears to be a fascinating area of research within nanotechnology. These nanoparticles exhibit biocompatibility and inherent stability, making them highly suitable for various industrial applications. The utilization of bioflocculant-synthesized Ag nanoparticles was investigated in this study for the purpose of eliminating diverse pollutants and dyes from wastewater and solutions. In this study, Ag nanoparticles were successfully synthesized through a green method utilizing a bioflocculant derived from Pichia kudriavzevii isolated from Kombucha tea SCOBY as a stabilizing agent. The resulting nanoparticles were then evaluated for their flocculation and antimicrobial properties. Different characterization techniques including SEM, EDX, FT-IR, TGA, and TEM were investigated from the synthesized nanoparticles. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the Ag nanoparticles was assessed on human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells. The EDX analysis showed elemental Ag constituted 61.93 wt% of the prepared AgNPs. SEM revealed particles with average size of 15.8 nm and were spherical in shape. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated that AgNPs exhibited enhanced thermal stability, retaining over 85 % of their mass at elevated temperatures. In a concentration-dependent manner, the spherical biosynthesized nanoparticles exhibited notable cytotoxic effects on HEK 293 cell lines with over 68 % cell viability at 25 mg/mL concentration. The biosynthesized Ag nanoparticles displayed robust antimicrobial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, though Gram-negative were more susceptible with MIC of 3.125 mg/mL concentration. The nanoparticles showcased a dye removal efficiency exceeding 78 % for all the tested dyes with highest removal efficiency of 96 % for methylene blue at a dosage concentration of 0.2 mg/mL of AgNPs. The Ag nanoparticles exhibited exceptional efficiencies in removing a wide range of pollutants present in wastewater. Compared to traditional flocculants, the biosynthesized Ag nanoparticles demonstrated significant potential in effectively removing both biological oxygen demand (BOD) (92 % removal efficiency) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (86 % removal efficiency). Thus, the biosynthesized Ag nanoparticles show great potential as a substitute for chemical flocculants in the treatment of industrial wastewater, offering im-proved purification capabilities.

Amphora coffeiformis extracellular polymeric substances and their potential applications in lead removal

Microorganisms producing extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are of great potential in numerous environmental applications. The present study explores the production and properties of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from Amphora coffeiformis diatom strain and their potential applications in environmental remediation. EPS were composed of a complex mixture of polysaccharides, proteins, humic substances and nucleic acids, with polyanionic characteristics as revealed by FTIR, Raman and zeta potential analyses. EPS showed high flocculation efficiency against kaolin clay at low dosages (5 mg/L) through a charge neutralization mechanism involving both polysaccharides and proteins. EPS also exhibited strong emulsification activity for various nonpolar substrates, mainly olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, essence and diesel, with emulsification indexes above 80%. The emulsions were stable for 72 h under different NaCl concentrations (1-10% w/v). Moreover, EPS demonstrated remarkable adsorption capacity for lead, reaching a maximum of 1699.33 ± 89.61 mg/g under optimized conditions using Box-Behnken design. The adsorption mechanism involved multiple functional groups such as hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, phosphoric and sulfhydryl. Therefore, EPS from A. coffeiformis are a promising candidate for restoring environments contaminated by heavy metals.

Screening, characterization, and production of Bacillus cereus (S55) bioflocculant isolated from soil for application in wastewater treatment

This research evaluated a bacterial strain, Bacillus cereus (S55), isolated from the soil for its bioflocculant production capabilities. The strain was identified through morphological and 16s rRNA gene sequencing. The optimization of culture conditions, using One-factor-at-a-time method, significantly enhanced bioflocculant production with glucose and urea. FTIR analysis showed the presence of hydroxyl, amine and carboxylate functional groups, with polysaccharides as predominant components. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the crystalline nature of the bioflocculant. The strain studied showed potential in treating household wastewater and was effective at removing dyes, suggesting alternatives for wastewater management.

Isolation and characterization of novel cadmium-resistant Escherichia fergusonii ZSF-15 from industrial effluent for flocculant production and antioxidant enzyme activity

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic metal that frequently contaminates our environment. In this study, the bioflocculant-producing, cadmium-resistant Escherichia fergusonii ZSF-15 was characterized from Paharang drain, Bawa Chak, Faisalabad, Pakistan. The Cd-resistant E. fergusonii was used to determine the bioflocculant production using yeast-peptone-glycerol medium (pH 6.5) supplemented with 50 mg L-1 of Cd. The culture was incubated for 3 days at 37 °C in a rotary shaker at 120 rpm. The fermentation broth was centrifuged at 4000 g for 10 min after the incubation period. The maximum flocculating activity by isolate ZSF-15 was found to be 71.4% after 48 h of incubation. According to the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, the bioflocculant produced by strain ZSF-15 was comprised of typical polysaccharide and protein, i.e. hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino groups. The strain ZSF-15 exhibited bioflocculant activity at range of pH (6-8) and temperature (35-50℃). Maximum flocculation activity (i.e. 71%) was observed at 47℃, whereas 63% flocculation production was observed at pH 8. In the present study, antioxidant enzyme profile of ZSF-15 was also evaluated under cadmium stress. A significant increase in antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (118%) and ascorbate peroxidase (28%) was observed, whereas contents of catalase (86%), glutathione transferase (13%), and peroxidase (8%) were decreased as compared to control.

A Quarter Century of Marine Biodiscovery in Algoa Bay, South Africa

Algoa Bay, the largest crenulate bay on the southeastern coast of South Africa, is currently one of the most well-studied marine ecosystems in southern Africa. A plethora of endemic marine invertebrates inhabits the benthic reefs on the western edge of the Bay in close proximity to South Africa's sixth largest city. Over the past 25 years, South African marine natural products chemists, together with international collaborators from the US National Cancer Institute and other US institutions, have focused their attention on Algoa Bay's benthic marine invertebrates as a potential source of new anticancer compounds. This review commemorates a quarter of a century of marine biodiscovery in Algoa Bay and presents the structures and bioactivities of 49 new and 36 known specialized metabolites isolated from two molluscs, eight ascidians, and six sponges. Thirty-nine of these compounds were cytotoxic to cancer cells in vitro with 20 exhibiting moderate to potent cytotoxicity. Six other compounds exhibited antimicrobial activity. Foremost among the potential anticancer compounds is mandelalide A (38) from the Algoa Bay ascidian Lissoclinum species.

Production and characterization of a bioflocculant produced by Proteus mirabilis AB 932526.1 and its application in wastewater treatment and dye removal

Microbial flocculants affect the aggregation of suspended solutes in solutions, thus, they are a viable alternative to inorganic and organic synthetic flocculants which are associated with deleterious health problems. Moreover, a potential solution for wastewater treatment. The study aimed to produce and characterize a bioflocculant from Proteus mirabilis AB 932526.1 and apply it in domestic wastewater treatment and dye removal. The bioflocculant was extracted using butanol and chloroform (5:2 v/v). Carbohydrates, proteins, and uronic acid were identified using phenol-sulphuric acid, Bradford, and Carbazole essays. The morphology, crystallinity and elemental composition of the purified bioflocculant were determined using a Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis and SEM energy dispersive elemental detector (SEM-EDX). The antimicrobial properties and dye removal efficiencies were evaluated. About 3.8 g/L yields of the purified bioflocculant were attained. Chemical composition analysis revealed the presence of 65 % carbohydrates, 10 % proteins, and 24 % uronic acids. The bioflocculant displayed an amorphous and crystalline structure. Bioflocculant further shows some remarkable properties as they can be able to inhibit the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms. The removal efficiencies of 85 % (COD), 82 % (BOD), and 81 % (SO4 2−) in domestic wastewater were achieved. Moreover, the high removal efficiency of staining dyes such as methylene blue (71 %), carbol fuchsin (81 %), safranin (83 %), methylene orange (90 %), and Congo red (90 %) were found. The produced bioflocculant can imply industrial applicability.

Hyperproduction of extracellular polymeric substance in Pseudomonas fluorescens for efficient chromium (VI) absorption

A novel extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) with flocculating activity produced by Pseudomonas fluorescein isolated from soil was studied in this paper. Firstly, atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) was applied to get a mutant of P. fluorescein with higher EPS production. A mutant T4-2 exhibited a 106.48% increase in flocculating activity compared to the original strain. The maximum EPS yield from T4-2 was enhanced up to 6.42 g/L, nearly 10 times higher than the original strain on a 3.6-L bioreactor with optimized fermentation conditions. Moreover, the flocculating activity of the mutant reached 3023.4 U/mL, 10.96-fold higher than that of T4. Further identification showed that EPS from mutant T4-2 was mainly composed of polysaccharide (76.67%) and protein (15.8%) with a molecular weight of 1.17 × 105 Da. The EPS showed excellent adsorption capacities of 80.13 mg/g for chromium (VI), which was much higher than many reported adsorbents such as chitosan and cellulose. The adsorption results were described by Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG0, ΔH0 and ΔS0) revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. Adsorption mechanisms were speculated to be electrostatic interaction, reduction, and chelation.

Isolation of a Marine Bacterium and Application of Its Bioflocculant in Wastewater Treatment

Bioflocculation has become the method of choice in wastewater treatment because of its effectiveness, environmental friendliness and innocuousness to humans. In this study, the bioflocculant-producing bacterium was isolated and its bioflocculant was used in wastewater treatment. The isolate was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Its culture conditions (inoculum size, carbon and nitrogen sources, pH, temperature and time) were optimised using the one-factor-at-a-time assay. The cytotoxicity of the bioflocculant was assessed on human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco2) by tetrazolium-based colorimetric method. The ability of the bioflocculant to reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in wastewater was evaluated using Jar test. The bacterium was identified as Bacillus subtilis CSM5 and the maximum flocculating activity of 92% was observed when fructose and urea were used as nutrients and the culture conditions were adjusted to 30 °C, pH 9, 160 rpm and 72 h of incubation. Caco2 exhibited 90% viability when the highest bioflocculant concentration of 200 µg/µL was used. The reduction of BOD and COD was achieved at 59 ± 3.1 and 75 ± 0.4%, respectively. In conclusion, B. subtilis CSM5 is a good candidate for bioflocculant production and its bioflocculant has good potential for use in wastewater treatment.

Bioflocculant produced by Bacillus velezensis and its potential application in brewery wastewater treatment

This study was designed to evaluate the potential of bioflocculant producing strains isolated from wastewater sludge. According to the Plackett–Burman design, the response surface revealed glucose, magnesium sulfate, and ammonium sulfate as critical media components of the nutritional source, whereas the central composite design affirmed an optimum concentration of the critical nutritional source as 16.0 g/l (glucose), 3.5 g/l magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO₄.7H₂O), and 1.6 g/l ammonium sulfate ( (NH₄)₂SO₄), yielding an optimal flocculation activity of 96.8%. Fourier Transformer Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl and methoxyl in the structure of the bioflocculant. Additionally, chemical analysis affirmed the presence of mainly a polysaccharide in the main backbone of the purified bioflocculant with no detection of protein. Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis affirmed the presence of chlorine, phosphorous, oxygen and chlorine as representatives of elemental composition. Thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis revealed over 60% weight was retained at a temperature range of 700 °C. The purified bioflocculant remarkably removed chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand and turbidity in brewery wastewater. This study suggested that the bioflocculant might be an alternate candidate for wastewater treatment.

Physicochemical factors affecting flocculating properties of the proteoglycan isolated from Rhodococcus opacus

The water-soluble fraction of proteoglycan RS-89 isolated from the Rhodococcus opacus FCL89 and composed of 64.6% polysaccharide and 9.44% protein has been studied as regards its flocculating activity. The RS-89 polysaccharide component includes mannose, galactose and glucose at the molar ratio of 2.7: 1.3: 1. The basic factors affecting flocculating activity of the RS-89 have been established. Additionally, the kinetics of kaolin sedimentation without and with the bioflocculant was investigated. The presence of divalent metal ions had a positive effect on the flocculating activity of the RS-89. The addition of Ca2+ increased the RS-89 flocculating activity in comparison to the other studied metals. It was proved that the proteoglycan RS-89 achieved the highest flocculating activity at the concentration equal to 2 mg/L and in the presence of 10 mmol/L of Ca2+. The zeta potential values are less negative when there is an interaction between the kaolin particles and metal ions without the RS-89 in the tested systems. Therefore, the proposed mechanism to describe the proteoglycan interaction with kaolin particles in the presence of divalent ions includes charge neutralization and a bridging mechanism.

Recent advances and perspectives in efforts to reduce the production and application cost of microbial flocculants

Microbial flocculants are macromolecular substances produced by microorganisms. Due to its non-toxic, harmless, and biodegradable advantages, microbial flocculants have been widely used in various industrial fields, such as wastewater treatment, microalgae harvest, activated sludge dewatering, heavy metal ion adsorption, and nanoparticle synthesis, especially in the post-treatment process of fermentation with high safety requirement. However, compared with the traditional inorganic flocculants and organic polymeric flocculants, the high production cost is the main bottleneck that restricts the large-scale production and application of microbial flocculants. To reduce the production cost of microbial flocculant, a series of efforts have been carried out and some exciting research progresses have been achieved. This paper summarized the research advances in the last decade, including the screening of high-yield strains and the construction of genetically engineered strains, search of cheap alternative medium, the extraction and preservation methods, microbial flocculants production as an incidental product of other biological processes, combined use of traditional flocculant and microbial flocculant, and the production of microbial flocculant promoted by inducer. Moreover, this paper prospects the future research directions to further reduce the production cost of microbial flocculants, thereby promoting the industrial production and large-scale application of microbial flocculants.

Bioflocculants Produced by Bacterial Strains Isolated from Palm Oil Mill Effluent for Application in the Removal of Eriochrome Black T Dye from Water

Four strains of bioflocculant-producing bacteria were isolated from a palm oil mill effluent (POME). The four bacterial strains were identified as Pseudomonas alcaliphila (B1), Pseudomonas oleovorans (B2), Pseudomonas chengduensis (B3), and Bacillus nitratireducens (B4) by molecular identification. Among the four bacterial strains, Bacillus nitratireducens (B4) achieved the highest flocculating activity (49.15%) towards kaolin clay suspension after eight hours of cultivation time and was selected for further studies. The optimum conditions for Eriochrome Black T (EBT) flocculation regarding initial pH, type of cation, and B4 dosage were determined to be pH 2, Ca²⁺ cations, and a dosage of 250 mL/L of nutrient broth containing B4. Under these conditions, above 90% of EBT dye removal was attained. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) analysis of the bioflocculant revealed the presence of hydroxyl, alkyl, carboxyl, and amino groups. This bioflocculant was demonstrated to possess a good flocculating activity, being a promissory, low-cost, harmless, and environmentally friendly alternative for the treatment of effluents contaminated with dyes.

Production of a bioflocculant by using activated sludge and its application in Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution

In this study, the characteristics of a bioflocculant produced by using activated sludge as raw materials were investigated. The performance of this bioflocculant in the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution and the corresponding mechanisms were determined as well. After cultivating a bioflocculant-producing strain in an alkaline thermal pre-treatment sludge for 60 h, approximately 4.45 g of bioflocculant containing a protein backbone was harvested from 1 L of fermentation broth. This bioflocculant can remove 98.5% of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions under optimal conditions, which include a bioflocculant dosage of 6 mg/L and a CaCl2 concentration of 70 mg/L at a pH of 6.5.

Implications for industrial application of bioflocculant demand alternatives to conventional media: waste as a substitute

The biodegradability and safety of the bioflocculants make them a potential alternative to non-biodegradable chemical flocculants for wastewater treatment. However, low yield and production cost has been reported to be the limiting factor for large scale bioflocculant production. Although the utilization of cheap nutrient sources is generally appealing for large scale bioproduct production, exploration to meet the demand for them is still low. Although much progress has been achieved at laboratory scale, Industrial production and application of bioflocculant is yet to be viable due to cost of the production medium and low yield. Thus, the prospects of bioflocculant application as an alternative to chemical flocculants is linked to evaluation and utilization of cheap alternative and renewable nutrient sources. This review evaluates the latest literature on the utilization of waste/wastewater as an alternative substitute for conventional expensive nutrient sources. It focuses on the mechanisms and metabolic pathways involved in microbial flocculant synthesis, culture conditions and nutrient requirements for bioflocculant production, pre-treatment, and also optimization of waste substrate for bioflocculant synthesis and bioflocculant production from waste and their efficiencies. Utilization of wastes as a microbial nutrient source drastically reduces the cost of bioflocculant production and increases the appeal of bioflocculant as a cost-effective alternative to chemical flocculants.

Evaluation of Fresh Water Actinomycete Bioflocculant and Its Biotechnological Applications in Wastewaters Treatment and Removal of Heavy Metals

This study evaluated the potential of a biopolymeric flocculant produced by Terrabacter sp. isolated from Sterkfontein Dam, South Africa. Microbial flocculants aid the aggregation of suspended solutes in solutions, thus, suggesting its alternative application to inorganic and synthetic organic flocculants, which are associated with health-related problems. The 16S rDNA analysis revealed the bacteria to have 98% similarity to Terrabacter sp. MUSC78T and the sequence was deposited in the Genbank as Terrabacter sp. with accession number KF682157.1. A series of experimental parameters such as bioflocculant dosage, cations concentrations, pH, and application of the purified bioflocculant in wastewaters treatment were investigated. In the presence of glucose as a sole carbon source, Ca²⁺ as cation at pH 8, the optimal flocculating activity attained was 85%. Optimum bioflocculant dosage of 0.5 mg/mL was able to remove chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS), nitrate, and turbidity in dairy wastewater. In addition, the tested bioflocculant exhibited higher flocculating efficiency as compared to polyaluminum chloride, polyethylenime, and alum. Inductible coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analyses confirmed significant removal of 77.7% Fe, 74.8% Al, 61.9% Mn, and 57.6% Zn as representatives of heavy metals from treated dairy wastewater. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amino groups in the purified bioflocculant which could be responsible for flocculation. Findings from this study showed the prospect of the studied bioflocculant as an alternative candidate in wastewater treatment and remediating of heavy metals.

Bioflocculant production and heavy metal sorption by metal resistant bacterial isolates from gold mining soil

Two bioflocculant producing bacterial isolates from mining soil samples were investigated for their application in heavy metal removal. The bacterial isolates were identified as Pseudomonas koreensis and Pantoea sp. using 16S rRNA gene. Cadmium resistant genes cadA and CzcD were detected in Pantoea sp. while P. koreensis harbor CzcD and chrA responsible for Cd and Cr resistance respectively. The isolates showed maximum flocculating activity of 71.3% and 51.7% with glucose and yield of 2.98 g L^-1 and 3.26 g L^-1 for Pantoea sp. and P. koreensis respectively. The optimum flocculating activity was achieved at pH 7.5 and temperature of 30 °C. Fourier transform infrared analysis of the bioflocculants produced by the two isolates showed the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl and amino groups characteristic of polysaccharide and protein. Heavy metal sorption by bioflocculant of Pantoea sp. removed 51.2% Cd, 52.5% Cr and 80.5% Pb while that of P. koreensis removed 48.5% Cd, 42.5% Cr and 73.7% Pb. The bioflocculants produced have potential in metal removal from industrial wastes.

Exploration of Performance Kinetics and Mechanism of Action of a Potential Novel Bioflocculant BF-VB2 on Clay and Dye Wastewater Flocculation

This study explores production of an efficient bioflocculant; BF-VB2, by strain Bacillus sp. TERI VB2 and proposes its potential application in wastewater treatment. One milligram of BF-VB2 can effectively flocculate 1980.0 mg ± 5.0 mg of kaolin particles leading to 99.0% ± 0.5% enhancement in flocculation activity and 99.6% ± 1.0% reduction in turbidity; in less time. BF-VB2 when applied for treatment of textile dyeing industrial wastewater revealed reduction in dye color (82.78% ± 3.03%), COD (92.54% ± 0.24%), TSS (73.59% ± 0.71%), and chloride ions (81.90% ± 0.716%). The best-fit kinetic model (for both COD removal, and dye decolorization) was pseudo-first order with regression coefficient of 0.98 and 0.95, and rate constant of 4.33 × 10^-2 and 1.83 × 10², respectively. Bridging due to presence of surface charges have been proposed as flocculation mechanism. From results obtained during test-tube studies, flocculation in larger volumes (0.01–5.0 L) was also performed to intend taking up BF-VB2 for in situ industrial wastewater treatment. This eco-friendly polysaccharide bioflocculant had longer shelf-life, stability to pH and temperature, cation-independence, and emerged to be more efficient than other flocculants assessed. This study proposed BF-VB2 as a potential natural flocculant candidate for industrial application.

Characterization and coagulation-flocculation performance of a composite flocculant in high-turbidity drinking water treatment

Klebsiella variicola B16, a microbial bioflocculant (MBF-B16)-producing bacteria, was isolated and identified by its 16S rRNA sequence, biochemical properties, and physiological characteristics. The effects of culture conditions on MBF-B16 production, including carbon source, nitrogen source, C/N ratio, initial pH, and culture temperature, were investigated in this study. Results showed that 6.96 g of MBF-B16 could be extracted from a 1-L culture broth under optimized conditions. Chemical analysis showed that polysaccharide and protein were the main components. The neutral sugar consisted of galactose only, which was proposed in Klebsiella genus for the first time. In addition, a composite flocculant (CF) that contains polyaluminum ferric chloride (PAFC) and MBF-B16 for the removal of turbidity and SS in drinking water was optimized by response surface methodology. CF could reduce PAFC dosage by about 56.2-72%. Charge neutralization and adsorption bridging effect were the primary flocculation mechanisms.

A novel thermally stable heteropolysaccharide-based bioflocculant from hydrocarbonoclastic strain Kocuria rosea BU22S and its application in dye removal

A new bioflocculant named pKr produced by hydrocarbonoclastic strain Kocuria rosea BU22S (KC152976) was investigated. Gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis confirmed the high potential of the strain BU22S in the degradation of n-alkanes. Plackett-Burman experimental design and response surface methodology were carried out to optimize pKr production. Glucose, peptone and incubation time were found to be the most significant factors affecting bioflocculant production. Maximum pKr production was about 4.72 ± 0.02 g/L achieved with 15.61 g/L glucose, 6.45 g/L peptone and 3 days incubation time. Chemical analysis of pKr indicated that it contained 71.62% polysaccharides, 16.36% uronic acid and 2.83% proteins. Thin layer chromatography analysis showed that polysaccharides fraction consisted of galactose and xylose. Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed the presence of many functional groups, hydroxyl, carboxyl, methoxyl, acetyl and amide that likely contribute to flocculation. K. rosea pKr showed high flocculant potential using kaolin clay at different pH (2-11), temperature (0-100°C) and cation concentrations. The bioflocculant was particularly effective in flocculating soluble anionic dyes, Reactive Blue 4 and Acid Yellow, with a decolorization efficiency of 76.4% and 72.6%, respectively. The outstanding flocculating performances suggest that pKr could be useful for bioremediation applications.

Biolubricant potential of exopolysaccharides from the cyanobacterium Cyanothece epiphytica

Exopolysaccaharides (EPS) are carbohydrate polymers secreted by microbial cells, as a protective layer termed sheath or capsule. Their composition is variable. Optimisation of nutrient factors and the effect of some simple stresses on the ability of Cyanothece epiphytica to produce EPS were tested. Of the tested stresses, exposure to ozone for 50 s at 0.06 mg/L resulted in a relatively high EPS yield, without any damage to cell structure. EPS was characterised physicochemically. Chemically, it was found to be composed of pentoses arabinose and xylose; hexoses glucose, galactose and mannose; and the deoxyhexose fucose sugars which were sulphated and with different functional groups. EPS from C. epiphytica was found to be a good hydrophobic dispersant, an excellent emulsifier as well as a flocculant. Its potential as a biolubricant with characteristics better than the conventional lubricant 'grease' was revealed through analysis. This study gave the clue for developing a commercial technology to produce a less expensive and more environment-friendly natural lubricant from the cyanobacterium C. epiphytica for tribological applications.

Production and flocculating properties of a compound biopolymer flocculant from corn ethanol wastewater

A compound biopolymer flocculant (CBF) produced using corn ethanol wastewater as substrate was investigated. After optimization of culture conditions, 3.08 g/L of purified CBF was extracted from the culture broth following 48 h of cultivation. The CBF macromolecule is mainly composed of protein (15.9%) and polysaccharide (81.8%). The polysaccharide component includes neutral sugars (28.92%), amino sugars (4.04%) and uronic acid (11.69%), with the neutral sugars being glucose, mannose, and lactose at a molar ratio of 4.1:1.5:1.9. CBF is pH tolerant from 3.0 to 12.0 and thermal tolerant from 20 to 100 °C, allowing for its application over a wide range of conditions. Furthermore, the Langmuir model better describes CBF adsorption on kaolin clay, as compared to the Freundlich model. Charge neutralization and bridging mechanisms are the primary flocculation mechanisms. In addition, CBF shows a high methylene blue removal efficiency. These results indicate that this compound biopolymer flocculant has great potential in dye wastewater treatment.

Sludge conditioning using the composite of a bioflocculant and PAC for enhancement in dewaterability

This study investigated the production of a bioflocculant by using rice stover and its potential in sludge dewatering. Production of the bioflocculant was positively associated with cell growth and highest value of 2.37 g L^-1 was obtained with main backbone of polysaccharides. The bioflocculant showed good performances in sludge dewatering, after conditioned by this bioflocculant, dry solids (DS) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of typical wastewater activated sludge reached 19.3% and 4.8 × 10¹² m kg^-1, respectively, which were much better than the ones obtained with chemical flocculants. Sludge dewatering was further improved when the bioflocculant and polyaluminum chloride (PAC) were used simultaneously, and the optimized conditioning process by the composite was bioflocculant of 10.5 g kg^-1, PAC of 19.4 g kg^-1, and pH of 8.1. Under this optimal condition, DS and SRF of the sludge appeared as 24.1% and 3.0 × 10¹² m kg^-1, respectively.

A Marine Bacterium, Bacillus sp. Isolated from the Sediment Samples of Algoa Bay in South Africa Produces a Polysaccharide-Bioflocculant

Bioflocculants mediate the removal of suspended particles from solution and the efficiency of flocculation is dependent on the characteristics of the flocculant. Apart from the merits of biodegradability and harmlessness, bioflocculants could be viable as industrially relevant flocculants as they are a renewable resource. Additionally, the shortcomings associated with the conventionally used flocculants such as aluminium salts and acrylamide polymers, which include dementia and cancer, highlight more the need to use bioflocculants as an alternative. Consequently, in this study a marine sediment bacterial isolate was screened for bioflocculant production. Basic local alignment search tools (BLAST) analysis of 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) sequence of the bacterial isolate showed 98% similarity to Bacillus thuringiensis MR-R1. The bacteria produced bioflocculant optimally with inoculum size (4% v/v) (85%), glucose (85.65%) and mixed nitrogen source (urea, ammonium chloride and yeast extract) (75.9%) and the divalent cation (Ca²⁺) (62.3%). Under optimal conditions, a maximum flocculating activity of over 85% was attained after 60 h of cultivation. The purified polysaccharide-bioflocculant flocculated optimally at alkaline pH 12 (81%), in the presence of Mn²⁺ (73%) and Ca²⁺ (72.8%). The high flocculation activity shown indicates that the bioflocculant may contend favourably as an alternative to the conventionally used flocculants in water treatment.

Revealing the ability of a novel polysaccharide bioflocculant in bioremediation of heavy metals sensed in a Vibrio bioluminescence reporter assay

A bioflocculant-producing bacterial strain, designated MSI021, was isolated from the marine sponge Dendrilla nigra and demonstrated 94% flocculation activity in a kaolin clay suspension. MSI021 was identified as Bacillus cereus based on phylogenetic affiliation and biochemical characteristics. The purified extra-cellular bioflocculant was chemically elucidated as a polysaccharide molecule. The polysaccharide bioflocculant was stable under both acidic and alkaline conditions (pH 2.0-10.0) and temperatures up to 100 °C. The purified bioflocculant efficiently nucleated the formation of silver nanoparticles which showed broad spectrum antibacterial activity. The ability of the bioflocculant to remediate heavy metal toxicity was evaluated by measuring the inhibition of bioluminescence expression in Vibrio harveyi. Enrichment of heavy metals such as zinc, mercury and copper at concentrations of 1, 2 and 3 mM in culture media showed significant reduction of bioluminescence in Vibrio, whereas media enriched with heavy metals and bioflocculant showed dose dependent improvement in the expression of bioluminescence. The assay results demonstrated that the polysaccharide bioflocculant effectively mitigates heavy metal toxicity, thereby improving the expression of bioluminescence in Vibrio. This bioluminescence reporter assay can be developed into a high-throughput format to monitor and evaluate of heavy metal toxicity. The findings of this study revealed that a novel polysaccharide bioflocculant produced by a marine B. cereus demonstrated strong flocculating performance and was effective in nucleating the formation antibacterial silver nanoparticles and removing heavy metals. These results suggest that the MSI021 polysaccharide bioflocculant can be used to develop greener waste water treatment systems.

Enhanced anaerobically digested swine wastewater treatment by the composite of polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and Bacillus megatherium G106 derived EPS

A strain was isolated from biological sludge to produce EPS by using anaerobically digested swine wastewater (ADSW). Potential of the EPS in ADSW treatment were discussed. Results showed that the optimal fermentation medium for EPS production was determined as 4 g K2HPO4, 2 g KH2PO4, and 2 g sucrose dissolved in 1 L ADSW. After fermentation for 60 h, 2.98 g EPS with main backbone of polysaccharides can be extracted from 1 L of fermentation broth. The EPS showed good performances in ADSW treatment, after conditioned by this EPS, removal efficiencies of COD, ammonia, and TP reached 70.2%, 76.5% and 82.8%, respectively, which were higher than that obtained when chemicals were selected as conditioning agents. Removal efficiencies were further improved when the EPS and polyaluminum chloride (PAC) were used simultaneously, and finally reached 91.6%, 90.8%, and 92.5%, respectively, under the optimized conditioning process by the composite of EPS of 16 mg/L, PAC of 12 g/L, pH of 7.5, and agitation speed of 200 r/min.

Removal of arsenite by a microbial bioflocculant produced from swine wastewater

This paper focused on the production and characteristics of a bioflocculant by using swine wastewater and its application in removing arsenite from aqueous solution. A series of experimental parameters including bioflocculant dose, calcium ions concentration, and solution pH value on arsenite uptake were evaluated. Results have demonstrated that a bioflocculant of 3.11 g L^-1 was achieved as the maximum yield after 60 h fermentation, with a main backbone of polysaccharides. Maximum arsenite removal efficiency of 99.2% can be reached by adding bioflocculant in two stages: 3 × 10^-3% (w/w) in the 1.0 min's rapid mixing (180 rpm) and 2 × 10^-3% (w/w) after 2.0 min's slow mixing (80 rpm) with pH value fixed at 7. Negative Gibbs free energy change (ΔG^o) indicated the spontaneous nature of arsenite removal. Arsenite was removed by the bioflocculant through bridging mechanisms.

Bioflocculation potentials of a uronic acid-containing glycoprotein produced by Bacillus sp. AEMREG4 isolated from Tyhume River, South Africa

Bioflocculants are secondary metabolites produced by microorganisms during their growth which have received attentions due to their biodegradability, innocuousness and lack of secondary pollution from degradation intermediates. This study reports on a bioflocculant produced by Bacillus specie isolated from Thyume River in South Africa. The bacterial isolate was identified through 16S rDNA sequencing and the BLAST analysis of the nucleotide sequences revealed 99% similarity to Bacillus sp. BCT-7112. The sequence was subsequently deposited in the GenBank as Bacillus sp. AEMREG4 with accession number KP406729. The optimum culture conditions for bioflocculant production were an inoculum size 4% (v/v) (80%) and starch (81%) as well as yeast extract (82%) as sole carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Addition of Ca²⁺ greatly enhanced the flocculating activity (76%) of crude bioflocculant over a wide range of pH 4–10 and retained high flocculating activity when heated at 100 °C for 1 h. Chemical analyses of the purified bioflocculant revealed carbohydrate (79% w/w) as a predominant component followed by uronic acid (15% w/w) and protein (5% w/w). Fourier transform infrared spectrum revealed the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl and methoxyl groups as the functional groups responsible for flocculation and the high flocculation activity achieved portends its industrial applicability.

Characterization of extracellular polymeric substances produced during nitrate removal by a thermophilic bacterium Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 in batch cultures

Positive correlation was observed between EPS production and nitrate removal efficiency during aerobic denitrification byChelatococcus daeguensisTAD1.

Implications for public health demands alternatives to inorganic and synthetic flocculants: bioflocculants as important candidates

Chemical flocculants are generally used in drinking water and wastewater treatment due to their efficacy and cost effectiveness. However, the question of their toxicity to human health and environmental pollution has been a major concern. In this article, we review the application of some chemical flocculants utilized in water treatment, and bioflocculants as a potential alternative to these chemical flocculants. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report in the literature that provides an up‐to‐date review of the relevant literature on both chemical flocculants and bioflocculants in one paper. As a result, this review paper comprehensively discussed the various chemical flocculants used in water treatment, including their advantages and disadvantages. It also gave insights into bioflocculants production, challenges, various factors influencing their flocculating efficiency and their industrial applications, as well as future research directions including improvement of bioflocculants yields and flocculating activity, and production of cation‐independent bioflocculants. The molecular biology and synthesis of bioflocculants are also discussed.

Revealing the characteristics of a novel bioflocculant and its flocculation performance in Microcystis aeruginosa removal

In the present work, a novel bioflocculant, EPS-1, was prepared and used to flocculate the kaolin suspension and Microcystis aeruginosa. We focused on the characteristics and flocculation performance of EPS-1, especially with regard to its protein components. An important attribute of EPS-1 was its protein content, with 18 protein types identified that occupied a total content of 31.70% in the EPS-1. Moreover, the flocculating activity of these protein components was estimated to be no less than 33.93%. Additionally, polysaccharides that occupied 57.12% of the total EPS-1 content consisted of four monosaccharides: maltose, D-xylose, mannose, and D-fructose. In addition, carbonyl, amino, and hydroxyl groups were identified as the main functional groups. Three main elements, namely C1s, N1s, and O1s, were present in EPS-1 with relative atomic percentages of 62.63%, 24.91%, and 10.5%, respectively. Zeta potential analysis indicated that charge neutralization contributed to kaolin flocculation, but was not involved in M. aeruginosa flocculation. The flocculation conditions of EPS-1 were optimized, and the maximum flocculating efficiencies were 93.34% within 2 min for kaolin suspension and 87.98% within 10 min for M. aeruginosa. These results suggest that EPS-1 could be an alternative to chemical flocculants for treating wastewaters and cyanobacterium-polluted freshwater.