GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF PROTOZOA ISOLATED FROM A TANNERY EFFLUENT

Industrial effluent from a tannery was used for the growth of algae in a medium containing various inorganic salts. Growth of algal cells be came visible after 7 d. Two species of protozoa were observed to proli ferate in the algal culture containing no organic supplement in the me dium. The culture was kept bacteria-free by the use of antibiotics and was perpetuated for at least 150 d with no decline in the protozoan p opulation. Efficient growth of protozoa in a culture of algae elucidat ed new modes of nutrition in protozoa. Cr(VI) was added to the medium to check the resistance of algae and protozoa against this heavy metal . Protozoa showed different degrees of resistance. The results indicat e the importance of algae and protozoa in the process of bioremediatio n.