Survival and chromate reducing ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in industrial effluents

The ability of a chromate-reducing Pseundomonas aeruginosa strain, isolated from tannery effluent, to survive and reduce chromate in the effluent of a tannery and an electroplating unit was evaluated. The test strain survived in the native tannery effluent but numbers fell sharply in the native elec troplating effluent. Supplementation with a carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and ph osphorus (P) source supported bacterial multiplication and chromate reducti on in both types of effluents with almost equal efficiency. Chromate reduct ion, however, was not observed in the absence of C, N or P supplement, or i n the chromate-reducing strain.