Biodegradation of Azo Dyes Using Bacillus Megaterium and Its Phytotoxicity Study

Abstract

The release of azo dyes from various textile industries contributes a serious problem to the environment. The biological method of degrading these dyes is preferred over chemical and physical methods. In the present study, the potentiality of using Bacillus megaterium (MTCC 8371) for degrading four different azo dyes, namely methylene blue, methyl red, congo red, and orange –G, under optimum conditions were studied. Kirk’s media was used for the degradation study and it was found out that the organism degraded the dye best in Kirk’s media on the fifth day of incubation under neutral pH at 40oC. The degradation was estimated by using UV-VIS spectrophotometer. FTIR study was also carried out to find out the degraded compounds in the samples. TLC was performed to find out the Rƒ value of the degraded dyes. The molecular weight of laccase enzyme was identified by SDS-PAGE and the degradation was further conformed by laccase assay. GC –MS analysis was also performed for the further confirmation of degradation.