I am Assistant Professor cum Scientist in the Dept. of Biotechnology, Centre for Research and Development, PRIST University, Vallam, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu ,India. Supervisors: Supervisor
Application of bioremediation techniques (immobilisation of microbes) in the treatment of wastewa... more Application of bioremediation techniques (immobilisation of microbes) in the treatment of wastewater gained significance recently since they do not generate secondary pollutants. Hence the use of immobilized microbial consortium isolated from indigenous wastewater treatment system has found to be efficient in improving the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant. Hence, in the present study an attempt was made to treat the hospital wastewater (Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai-MMHRC) by employing mixed immobilized microorganisms. Therefore the efficiency of immobilised microbes in degrading the organic waste of the hospital wastewater was investigated through phenol and alcohol reduction. It was noted the total flow rate of the wastewater discharged from MMHRC was 167.9 m 3 / day from occupancy of 500 beds. The mixed immobilized cultures inoculated at the entry point of the aeration tank of the treatment system were very efficient in the reducing the organic content, phenol and alcohol present in the wastewater. The retention period in the septic tank was 14.67 h. The phenol and alcohol content in the wastewater of MMHRC was 14 mg/l and 57 mg/l respectively at the exit of the aeration tank. It reduced to 5 and 12 mg/l for phenol and alcohol respectively at the exit of polishing tank in the control system, where as in the treated system it was 0.65 mg/l and 3 mg/l respectively. The total reduction of phenol and alcohol content was 95.35 and 94.73 percent respectively over the initial within a retention period of 46.15 h. The microbes such as Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp. and Candida sp. selectively degraded exceedingly high concentrations of phenols and alcohol content.
The wastewater being discharged from the dye and match factories pose a potential risk of transmi... more The wastewater being discharged from the dye and match factories pose a potential risk of transmitting the infectious and contaminated diseases, besides the involvement of chemical hazards. This would create a pollution problem leading to contamination of groundwater and river water streams in nearby areas of Sivakasi. Generally the wastewater is currently being treated in bulk by corporate sectors through waste stabilizations system or activated sludge. But in Sivakasi no such treatment plants are there to treat the wastewater. Hence, in the present study an attempt was made to treat the wastewater discharged from match and dye industries by employing microbes capable of degrading the BOD and other chemicals very effectively. The samples analysed before the treatment showed all the values exceeding the permissible limit of wastewater to be discharged. Samples were collected from various places of Sivakasi town between Nov – Dec 2009 and Feb –March 2010. The samples were collected in the morning from 7.00 to 9 A.M and transported to the laboratory with in 4 h of collection and refrigerated prior to the experimental work. It was subjected to treatment studies in the laboratory scale. Selected microbial broth cultures (Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., Klebsiella sp. and E. coli) were inoculated into the wastewater in different doses (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 ml) for biodegradation studies. The experiment was run for a period of 7 days. Chemical analysis of the samples was done form the 3 rd day to 7 th day. Among the four cultures inoculated, the BOD got reduced to 96.04 percent in the wastewater inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. In all the treatment studies made 8 ml concentration showed the maximum efficiency in degrading the wastewater and it was fixed as the optimum inoculums doses for biodegradation of wastewater from dye and match factories. Among the four cultures inoculated for the treatment studies Pseudomonas sp. can able to reduce all the chemical parameters to an acceptable standard limit within 7 days of inoculation.
Biogas is produced from organic wastes or all types of biological degradable waste by concerned a... more Biogas is produced from organic wastes or all types of biological degradable waste by concerned action of various groups of anaerobic bacteria during anaerobic decomposition. Food waste is the best alternative for biogas production in a community level biogas plant. In the present investigation, an attempt was made to study and compare the rate of biogas production in portable-plastic biogas digester. Different substrates such as cow dung (CD), food waste (FW) and Jatropha de oiled cake (JDC) individually and various combinations were tried for the production of biogas. About 5 kg of food waste were collected from the canteen/hostel of PRIST University campus, Vallam, Thanjavur. It was pulverised in a pulveriser and fed into the digester tank along with the cow dung slurry in various concentration and ratios. Likewise Jatropha de oiled cake was powered and fed into digester tank alone and in combination with food waste and cow dung. The experiments were carried out for 30 days and the rate of gas production was measured by water displacement method. The pH value of the cow dung, food waste and JDC was nearer to neutral and gradually decreased to acidic and again it got stabilised to the neutral pH which favoured the production of biogas. The percentage of total solids were 97.9, 87.8 and 94.2 for cow dung, Jatropha de oiled cake and food waste respectively. The percentage of volatile solids was 73.4, 62.2 and 76.3 for cow dung, Jatropha de oiled cake and food waste respectively. Observations on daily basis were made on the constituent of biogas, pH, volume and rate of biogas production. Among the 12 different combinations used in the study, maximum production of biogas was achieved in the cow dung and food waste (526 ml) and lowest rate of gas production was achieved in 33.33 % combination of cow dung, Jatropha and food waste.
—At present our country is facing various problems, among that energy crisis has become more seri... more —At present our country is facing various problems, among that energy crisis has become more serious in next coming years. Both energy crisis and pollution problems could be controlled by adopting an alternative method of biogas production form waste products. Food waste is the best alternative for biogas production in a community level biogas plant. Hence in the present study, an attempt has been made to study the rate of biogas production in a lab scale biogas digester model for the efficient conversion of the food waste (starch –rich materials) generated from PRIST University Campus. The biogas production depends on the maximum biogas yield, the concentration of volatile solids of the input, the density of the effluent, the density of the biogas and the reaction rate constant, which are all substrate-or process-specific. The experiments were carried out for 40 days and the rate of gas production was measured by water displacement method. The pH value of the cow dung and food waste was initially measured and adjusted to nearer to neutral and gradually increased to acidic and again it got stabilised to the neutral pH which favoured the production of biogas. The percentage of total solids was 69.86, 93.56 and 25.67 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. The percentage of volatile solids was 52.5, 86.3 and 18.9 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. The percentage of volatile fatty acid was 285, 356 and 365 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. Observations on daily basis were made on the constituent of biogas, pH, volume and rate of biogas production. The rate of biogas production continuously increased as days progressed and there was maximum yield in biogas after 20 days. Thus continuous feeding helps in daily biogas production and can be used at a small as well as larger scale to manage the organic waste and energy production for various applications.
Genetic susceptibility is likely to play a role in response to vehicular pollution of GSTP1 and N... more Genetic susceptibility is likely to play a role in response to vehicular pollution of GSTP1 and NAT2 (C481T). Genotoxic effects due to respiratory problems in traffic police occupationally exposed to vehicular exhaust have particular importance in the detoxification of inhaled toxicants since it is the most abundant in the lung function and the association.161 male traffic policemen and 170 control subjects were selected for this study. Gene polymorphism was studied using PCR and RFLP method. The results on gene polymorphism of GSTP1 and NAT2 (C481T) showed significant association of homozygous mutant genotype (GG) in GSTP1 gene and homozygous mutant genotype (CC) in NAT2 gene with traffic police having respiratory problems. However, no such association was observed in traffic police without respiratory problems and control group also. Our results suggest that long term exposure to urban air pollution (with traffic as the main contributor) polymorphisms in genetic susceptibility provides evidence to suggest a role in determining the respiratory problems in GSTP1 and NAT2 (C481T) variants associated with reduced detoxification ability, increase susceptibility to such damage and appears to be associated with occupationally exhaust vehicular exhaust in traffic policemen.
Background: There is an increasing commercial demand for nanoparticles due to their wide applicab... more Background: There is an increasing commercial demand for nanoparticles due to their wide applicability in different fields such as catalysis, photonics, electronics, biological labelling, biosensing, drug delivery, antibacterial, and antiviral and gene therapy. Physicochemical methods of nanoparticle synthesis causes environment hazards, so biological approach has emerged as eco-friendly and alternative method. Cymbopogan citratus (DC) stapf. is commonly known as lemon grass belongs to a family Poaceae. It is a native aromatic herb from India and is also cultivated in other tropical and subtropical countries. Objective: The main objective of the study is synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles in lemon grass leaves and to study its antibacterial activity. Results: The silver nanoparticles were formed after 3 hours of incubation at 37ºC using aqueous solution of 5 mM silver nitrate (AgNO3) and synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis, XRD, SEM,EDS and FTIR. The antibacterial activity of synthesized silver nanoparticles was investigated by disc diffusion method. Conclusion: In the present study silver nanoparticles was synthesized by green route and significant antibacterial activity was also observed.
Application of bioremediation techniques (immobilisation of microbes) in the treatment of wastewa... more Application of bioremediation techniques (immobilisation of microbes) in the treatment of wastewater gained significance recently since they do not generate secondary pollutants. Hence the use of immobilized microbial consortium isolated from indigenous wastewater treatment system has found to be efficient in improving the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant. Hence, in the present study an attempt was made to treat the hospital wastewater (Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai-MMHRC) by employing mixed immobilized microorganisms. Therefore the efficiency of immobilised microbes in degrading the organic waste of the hospital wastewater was investigated through phenol and alcohol reduction. It was noted the total flow rate of the wastewater discharged from MMHRC was 167.9 m 3 / day from occupancy of 500 beds. The mixed immobilized cultures inoculated at the entry point of the aeration tank of the treatment system were very efficient in the reducing the organic content, phenol and alcohol present in the wastewater. The retention period in the septic tank was 14.67 h. The phenol and alcohol content in the wastewater of MMHRC was 14 mg/l and 57 mg/l respectively at the exit of the aeration tank. It reduced to 5 and 12 mg/l for phenol and alcohol respectively at the exit of polishing tank in the control system, where as in the treated system it was 0.65 mg/l and 3 mg/l respectively. The total reduction of phenol and alcohol content was 95.35 and 94.73 percent respectively over the initial within a retention period of 46.15 h. The microbes such as Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp. and Candida sp. selectively degraded exceedingly high concentrations of phenols and alcohol content.
In the present study, a total of four extracts of two species namely Acalypha indica, Curcuma lon... more In the present study, a total of four extracts of two species namely Acalypha indica, Curcuma longa and combination of both species in two solvents (aqueous and methanol extract) were evaluated for their antibacterial activity. The antibacterial was measured by agar disc diffusion method. All the extracts showed antibacterial activity all the test bacterial isolates. Aqueous extracts of A. indica did not exhibit antibacterial activity against Salmonella sp., Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococus sp., but it showed a very good inhibitory effect for Bacillus sp., and E. coli with a zone of inhibition of 1.8 cm and 1.5 cm respectively. The methonolic extract of A. indica showed very good activity for all the tested organisms with maximum zone of inhibition i.e 2.5 cm dia for Bacillus sp., and minimum in Pseudomonas sp., of 1.8 cm dia. Curcuma longa (Turmeric) showed a very good inhibitory activity against Staphylococus aureus with zone of inhibition 1.7 and 1.3 cm for methanolic and aqueous extract respectively. For other species the methanolic extract of turmeric showed the zone inhibition 2.2, 2.1, 2.0, 1.7 and 1.6 cm dia for E.coli, Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococus sp., and Salmonella sp. respectively. The synergistic effect of methanolic extract of both species (Acalypha indica and turmeric) also showed very good inhibitory effect. From the above results it was inferred that among the two plant species methanolic extract of turmeric was found to be more effective (i.e showed maximum zone of inhibition against all the bacterial species tested. The methanolic extract of turmeric was compared with the synthesized turmeric silver nanoparticles. Among these, the silver nano particles showed better results when compared to the methanolic extract of turmeric and antibiotic. In E. coli the zone of inhibition was maximum i.e 2.5 and 2.2 cm dia for silver nano particles and methanolic extract of turmeric respectively. Silver nanoparticles of turmeric showed a inhibition zone of 2.3, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.4 cm dia for Salmonella sp., Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., and Staphylococus sp., respectively. Findings of the present investigation supports the use of Acalypha indica and turmeric in traditional medicine for the treatment of various bacterial infections. .
Antibacterial activity of biogenic silver nanoparticles was evaluated by zone of inhibition using... more Antibacterial activity of biogenic silver nanoparticles was evaluated by zone of inhibition using standard agar disc diffusion method. Among three different concentrations (25, 50 and 100 µl) 100 µl concentration showed maximum activity against Klebsiella pneumonia (2.7 cm), Shigella someneii (2.4 cm), S. flexaneri (2.4 cm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2.2 cm), P. mirabilis (2.1 cm) and E. coli (2.0 cm) when compared to the other two concentrations. It was also observed that it showed no activity against geranium plant extract that served as control.
Hospital effluent is often regarded as an important source of pathogenic microorganisms like bact... more Hospital effluent is often regarded as an important source of pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria, viruses and parasitic ova. Counts of all these microorganisms were enumerated in various stages of effluent treatment plant (ETP) such as equalisation tank (ET), aeration tank (AT), settling tank (ST), chlorination tank (CT), polishing tank (PT) and sludge dry beds. The microbial parameters includes total viable count (TVC), total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms (FC), faecal Streptococci (FS), Staphylococci, Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Shigella. The raw sewage contains 35 % of 19.6 X 102 CFU/mL of bacteria as coliforms and E. coli as a typical faecal flora. There was a substantial reduction (> 2 log) noticed for the effluent in settling tank. Mass of the bacteria in the hospital effluent remains tightly attached to the solid particles. These are removed by aeration and clarification or settling by physical processes like flocculation. The treated effluent still contains sizeabl...
Hospital effluent is often regarded as an important source of pathogenic microorganisms like
bac... more Hospital effluent is often regarded as an important source of pathogenic microorganisms like
bacteria, viruses and parasitic ova. Counts of all these microorganisms were enumerated in
various stages of effluent treatment plant (ETP) such as equalisation tank (ET), aeration tank
(AT), settling tank (ST), chlorination tank (CT), polishing tank (PT) and sludge dry beds.
The microbial parameters includes total viable count (TVC), total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms
(FC), faecal Streptococci (FS), Staphylococci, Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Shigella.
The raw sewage contains 35 % of 19.6 X 102 CFU/mL of bacteria as coliforms and E. coli as
a typical faecal flora. There was a substantial reduction (> 2 log) noticed for the effluent in
settling tank. Mass of the bacteria in the hospital effluent remains tightly attached to the solid
particles. These are removed by aeration and clarification or settling by physical processes like
flocculation. The treated effluent still contains sizeable counts or loads of bacteria even though
disinfection procedures like chlorination are followed. Bacteria in sludge dry beds are exceedingly
rigorous and higher concentration of chlorine is required for decontamination and
other disinfection procedures such as UV radiation, Ozonization and sunlight disinfection are
required for the reduction. Further work will be carried out to design and construct a portable
low cost disinfection unit for the disinfection of harmful pathogenic microbes.
Application of bioremediation techniques (immobilisation of microbes) in the treatment of wastewa... more Application of bioremediation techniques (immobilisation of microbes) in the treatment of wastewater gained significance recently since they do not generate secondary pollutants. Hence the use of immobilized microbial consortium isolated from indigenous wastewater treatment system has found to be efficient in improving the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant. Hence, in the present study an attempt was made to treat the hospital wastewater (Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai-MMHRC) by employing mixed immobilized microorganisms. Therefore the efficiency of immobilised microbes in degrading the organic waste of the hospital wastewater was investigated through phenol and alcohol reduction. It was noted the total flow rate of the wastewater discharged from MMHRC was 167.9 m 3 / day from occupancy of 500 beds. The mixed immobilized cultures inoculated at the entry point of the aeration tank of the treatment system were very efficient in the reducing the organic content, phenol and alcohol present in the wastewater. The retention period in the septic tank was 14.67 h. The phenol and alcohol content in the wastewater of MMHRC was 14 mg/l and 57 mg/l respectively at the exit of the aeration tank. It reduced to 5 and 12 mg/l for phenol and alcohol respectively at the exit of polishing tank in the control system, where as in the treated system it was 0.65 mg/l and 3 mg/l respectively. The total reduction of phenol and alcohol content was 95.35 and 94.73 percent respectively over the initial within a retention period of 46.15 h. The microbes such as Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp. and Candida sp. selectively degraded exceedingly high concentrations of phenols and alcohol content.
The wastewater being discharged from the dye and match factories pose a potential risk of transmi... more The wastewater being discharged from the dye and match factories pose a potential risk of transmitting the infectious and contaminated diseases, besides the involvement of chemical hazards. This would create a pollution problem leading to contamination of groundwater and river water streams in nearby areas of Sivakasi. Generally the wastewater is currently being treated in bulk by corporate sectors through waste stabilizations system or activated sludge. But in Sivakasi no such treatment plants are there to treat the wastewater. Hence, in the present study an attempt was made to treat the wastewater discharged from match and dye industries by employing microbes capable of degrading the BOD and other chemicals very effectively. The samples analysed before the treatment showed all the values exceeding the permissible limit of wastewater to be discharged. Samples were collected from various places of Sivakasi town between Nov – Dec 2009 and Feb –March 2010. The samples were collected in the morning from 7.00 to 9 A.M and transported to the laboratory with in 4 h of collection and refrigerated prior to the experimental work. It was subjected to treatment studies in the laboratory scale. Selected microbial broth cultures (Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., Klebsiella sp. and E. coli) were inoculated into the wastewater in different doses (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 ml) for biodegradation studies. The experiment was run for a period of 7 days. Chemical analysis of the samples was done form the 3 rd day to 7 th day. Among the four cultures inoculated, the BOD got reduced to 96.04 percent in the wastewater inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. In all the treatment studies made 8 ml concentration showed the maximum efficiency in degrading the wastewater and it was fixed as the optimum inoculums doses for biodegradation of wastewater from dye and match factories. Among the four cultures inoculated for the treatment studies Pseudomonas sp. can able to reduce all the chemical parameters to an acceptable standard limit within 7 days of inoculation.
Biogas is produced from organic wastes or all types of biological degradable waste by concerned a... more Biogas is produced from organic wastes or all types of biological degradable waste by concerned action of various groups of anaerobic bacteria during anaerobic decomposition. Food waste is the best alternative for biogas production in a community level biogas plant. In the present investigation, an attempt was made to study and compare the rate of biogas production in portable-plastic biogas digester. Different substrates such as cow dung (CD), food waste (FW) and Jatropha de oiled cake (JDC) individually and various combinations were tried for the production of biogas. About 5 kg of food waste were collected from the canteen/hostel of PRIST University campus, Vallam, Thanjavur. It was pulverised in a pulveriser and fed into the digester tank along with the cow dung slurry in various concentration and ratios. Likewise Jatropha de oiled cake was powered and fed into digester tank alone and in combination with food waste and cow dung. The experiments were carried out for 30 days and the rate of gas production was measured by water displacement method. The pH value of the cow dung, food waste and JDC was nearer to neutral and gradually decreased to acidic and again it got stabilised to the neutral pH which favoured the production of biogas. The percentage of total solids were 97.9, 87.8 and 94.2 for cow dung, Jatropha de oiled cake and food waste respectively. The percentage of volatile solids was 73.4, 62.2 and 76.3 for cow dung, Jatropha de oiled cake and food waste respectively. Observations on daily basis were made on the constituent of biogas, pH, volume and rate of biogas production. Among the 12 different combinations used in the study, maximum production of biogas was achieved in the cow dung and food waste (526 ml) and lowest rate of gas production was achieved in 33.33 % combination of cow dung, Jatropha and food waste.
—At present our country is facing various problems, among that energy crisis has become more seri... more —At present our country is facing various problems, among that energy crisis has become more serious in next coming years. Both energy crisis and pollution problems could be controlled by adopting an alternative method of biogas production form waste products. Food waste is the best alternative for biogas production in a community level biogas plant. Hence in the present study, an attempt has been made to study the rate of biogas production in a lab scale biogas digester model for the efficient conversion of the food waste (starch –rich materials) generated from PRIST University Campus. The biogas production depends on the maximum biogas yield, the concentration of volatile solids of the input, the density of the effluent, the density of the biogas and the reaction rate constant, which are all substrate-or process-specific. The experiments were carried out for 40 days and the rate of gas production was measured by water displacement method. The pH value of the cow dung and food waste was initially measured and adjusted to nearer to neutral and gradually increased to acidic and again it got stabilised to the neutral pH which favoured the production of biogas. The percentage of total solids was 69.86, 93.56 and 25.67 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. The percentage of volatile solids was 52.5, 86.3 and 18.9 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. The percentage of volatile fatty acid was 285, 356 and 365 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. Observations on daily basis were made on the constituent of biogas, pH, volume and rate of biogas production. The rate of biogas production continuously increased as days progressed and there was maximum yield in biogas after 20 days. Thus continuous feeding helps in daily biogas production and can be used at a small as well as larger scale to manage the organic waste and energy production for various applications.
Genetic susceptibility is likely to play a role in response to vehicular pollution of GSTP1 and N... more Genetic susceptibility is likely to play a role in response to vehicular pollution of GSTP1 and NAT2 (C481T). Genotoxic effects due to respiratory problems in traffic police occupationally exposed to vehicular exhaust have particular importance in the detoxification of inhaled toxicants since it is the most abundant in the lung function and the association.161 male traffic policemen and 170 control subjects were selected for this study. Gene polymorphism was studied using PCR and RFLP method. The results on gene polymorphism of GSTP1 and NAT2 (C481T) showed significant association of homozygous mutant genotype (GG) in GSTP1 gene and homozygous mutant genotype (CC) in NAT2 gene with traffic police having respiratory problems. However, no such association was observed in traffic police without respiratory problems and control group also. Our results suggest that long term exposure to urban air pollution (with traffic as the main contributor) polymorphisms in genetic susceptibility provides evidence to suggest a role in determining the respiratory problems in GSTP1 and NAT2 (C481T) variants associated with reduced detoxification ability, increase susceptibility to such damage and appears to be associated with occupationally exhaust vehicular exhaust in traffic policemen.
Background: There is an increasing commercial demand for nanoparticles due to their wide applicab... more Background: There is an increasing commercial demand for nanoparticles due to their wide applicability in different fields such as catalysis, photonics, electronics, biological labelling, biosensing, drug delivery, antibacterial, and antiviral and gene therapy. Physicochemical methods of nanoparticle synthesis causes environment hazards, so biological approach has emerged as eco-friendly and alternative method. Cymbopogan citratus (DC) stapf. is commonly known as lemon grass belongs to a family Poaceae. It is a native aromatic herb from India and is also cultivated in other tropical and subtropical countries. Objective: The main objective of the study is synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles in lemon grass leaves and to study its antibacterial activity. Results: The silver nanoparticles were formed after 3 hours of incubation at 37ºC using aqueous solution of 5 mM silver nitrate (AgNO3) and synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis, XRD, SEM,EDS and FTIR. The antibacterial activity of synthesized silver nanoparticles was investigated by disc diffusion method. Conclusion: In the present study silver nanoparticles was synthesized by green route and significant antibacterial activity was also observed.
Application of bioremediation techniques (immobilisation of microbes) in the treatment of wastewa... more Application of bioremediation techniques (immobilisation of microbes) in the treatment of wastewater gained significance recently since they do not generate secondary pollutants. Hence the use of immobilized microbial consortium isolated from indigenous wastewater treatment system has found to be efficient in improving the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant. Hence, in the present study an attempt was made to treat the hospital wastewater (Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai-MMHRC) by employing mixed immobilized microorganisms. Therefore the efficiency of immobilised microbes in degrading the organic waste of the hospital wastewater was investigated through phenol and alcohol reduction. It was noted the total flow rate of the wastewater discharged from MMHRC was 167.9 m 3 / day from occupancy of 500 beds. The mixed immobilized cultures inoculated at the entry point of the aeration tank of the treatment system were very efficient in the reducing the organic content, phenol and alcohol present in the wastewater. The retention period in the septic tank was 14.67 h. The phenol and alcohol content in the wastewater of MMHRC was 14 mg/l and 57 mg/l respectively at the exit of the aeration tank. It reduced to 5 and 12 mg/l for phenol and alcohol respectively at the exit of polishing tank in the control system, where as in the treated system it was 0.65 mg/l and 3 mg/l respectively. The total reduction of phenol and alcohol content was 95.35 and 94.73 percent respectively over the initial within a retention period of 46.15 h. The microbes such as Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp. and Candida sp. selectively degraded exceedingly high concentrations of phenols and alcohol content.
In the present study, a total of four extracts of two species namely Acalypha indica, Curcuma lon... more In the present study, a total of four extracts of two species namely Acalypha indica, Curcuma longa and combination of both species in two solvents (aqueous and methanol extract) were evaluated for their antibacterial activity. The antibacterial was measured by agar disc diffusion method. All the extracts showed antibacterial activity all the test bacterial isolates. Aqueous extracts of A. indica did not exhibit antibacterial activity against Salmonella sp., Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococus sp., but it showed a very good inhibitory effect for Bacillus sp., and E. coli with a zone of inhibition of 1.8 cm and 1.5 cm respectively. The methonolic extract of A. indica showed very good activity for all the tested organisms with maximum zone of inhibition i.e 2.5 cm dia for Bacillus sp., and minimum in Pseudomonas sp., of 1.8 cm dia. Curcuma longa (Turmeric) showed a very good inhibitory activity against Staphylococus aureus with zone of inhibition 1.7 and 1.3 cm for methanolic and aqueous extract respectively. For other species the methanolic extract of turmeric showed the zone inhibition 2.2, 2.1, 2.0, 1.7 and 1.6 cm dia for E.coli, Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococus sp., and Salmonella sp. respectively. The synergistic effect of methanolic extract of both species (Acalypha indica and turmeric) also showed very good inhibitory effect. From the above results it was inferred that among the two plant species methanolic extract of turmeric was found to be more effective (i.e showed maximum zone of inhibition against all the bacterial species tested. The methanolic extract of turmeric was compared with the synthesized turmeric silver nanoparticles. Among these, the silver nano particles showed better results when compared to the methanolic extract of turmeric and antibiotic. In E. coli the zone of inhibition was maximum i.e 2.5 and 2.2 cm dia for silver nano particles and methanolic extract of turmeric respectively. Silver nanoparticles of turmeric showed a inhibition zone of 2.3, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.4 cm dia for Salmonella sp., Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., and Staphylococus sp., respectively. Findings of the present investigation supports the use of Acalypha indica and turmeric in traditional medicine for the treatment of various bacterial infections. .
Antibacterial activity of biogenic silver nanoparticles was evaluated by zone of inhibition using... more Antibacterial activity of biogenic silver nanoparticles was evaluated by zone of inhibition using standard agar disc diffusion method. Among three different concentrations (25, 50 and 100 µl) 100 µl concentration showed maximum activity against Klebsiella pneumonia (2.7 cm), Shigella someneii (2.4 cm), S. flexaneri (2.4 cm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2.2 cm), P. mirabilis (2.1 cm) and E. coli (2.0 cm) when compared to the other two concentrations. It was also observed that it showed no activity against geranium plant extract that served as control.
Hospital effluent is often regarded as an important source of pathogenic microorganisms like bact... more Hospital effluent is often regarded as an important source of pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria, viruses and parasitic ova. Counts of all these microorganisms were enumerated in various stages of effluent treatment plant (ETP) such as equalisation tank (ET), aeration tank (AT), settling tank (ST), chlorination tank (CT), polishing tank (PT) and sludge dry beds. The microbial parameters includes total viable count (TVC), total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms (FC), faecal Streptococci (FS), Staphylococci, Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Shigella. The raw sewage contains 35 % of 19.6 X 102 CFU/mL of bacteria as coliforms and E. coli as a typical faecal flora. There was a substantial reduction (> 2 log) noticed for the effluent in settling tank. Mass of the bacteria in the hospital effluent remains tightly attached to the solid particles. These are removed by aeration and clarification or settling by physical processes like flocculation. The treated effluent still contains sizeabl...
Hospital effluent is often regarded as an important source of pathogenic microorganisms like
bac... more Hospital effluent is often regarded as an important source of pathogenic microorganisms like
bacteria, viruses and parasitic ova. Counts of all these microorganisms were enumerated in
various stages of effluent treatment plant (ETP) such as equalisation tank (ET), aeration tank
(AT), settling tank (ST), chlorination tank (CT), polishing tank (PT) and sludge dry beds.
The microbial parameters includes total viable count (TVC), total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms
(FC), faecal Streptococci (FS), Staphylococci, Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Shigella.
The raw sewage contains 35 % of 19.6 X 102 CFU/mL of bacteria as coliforms and E. coli as
a typical faecal flora. There was a substantial reduction (> 2 log) noticed for the effluent in
settling tank. Mass of the bacteria in the hospital effluent remains tightly attached to the solid
particles. These are removed by aeration and clarification or settling by physical processes like
flocculation. The treated effluent still contains sizeable counts or loads of bacteria even though
disinfection procedures like chlorination are followed. Bacteria in sludge dry beds are exceedingly
rigorous and higher concentration of chlorine is required for decontamination and
other disinfection procedures such as UV radiation, Ozonization and sunlight disinfection are
required for the reduction. Further work will be carried out to design and construct a portable
low cost disinfection unit for the disinfection of harmful pathogenic microbes.
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bacteria, viruses and parasitic ova. Counts of all these microorganisms were enumerated in
various stages of effluent treatment plant (ETP) such as equalisation tank (ET), aeration tank
(AT), settling tank (ST), chlorination tank (CT), polishing tank (PT) and sludge dry beds.
The microbial parameters includes total viable count (TVC), total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms
(FC), faecal Streptococci (FS), Staphylococci, Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Shigella.
The raw sewage contains 35 % of 19.6 X 102 CFU/mL of bacteria as coliforms and E. coli as
a typical faecal flora. There was a substantial reduction (> 2 log) noticed for the effluent in
settling tank. Mass of the bacteria in the hospital effluent remains tightly attached to the solid
particles. These are removed by aeration and clarification or settling by physical processes like
flocculation. The treated effluent still contains sizeable counts or loads of bacteria even though
disinfection procedures like chlorination are followed. Bacteria in sludge dry beds are exceedingly
rigorous and higher concentration of chlorine is required for decontamination and
other disinfection procedures such as UV radiation, Ozonization and sunlight disinfection are
required for the reduction. Further work will be carried out to design and construct a portable
low cost disinfection unit for the disinfection of harmful pathogenic microbes.
bacteria, viruses and parasitic ova. Counts of all these microorganisms were enumerated in
various stages of effluent treatment plant (ETP) such as equalisation tank (ET), aeration tank
(AT), settling tank (ST), chlorination tank (CT), polishing tank (PT) and sludge dry beds.
The microbial parameters includes total viable count (TVC), total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms
(FC), faecal Streptococci (FS), Staphylococci, Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Shigella.
The raw sewage contains 35 % of 19.6 X 102 CFU/mL of bacteria as coliforms and E. coli as
a typical faecal flora. There was a substantial reduction (> 2 log) noticed for the effluent in
settling tank. Mass of the bacteria in the hospital effluent remains tightly attached to the solid
particles. These are removed by aeration and clarification or settling by physical processes like
flocculation. The treated effluent still contains sizeable counts or loads of bacteria even though
disinfection procedures like chlorination are followed. Bacteria in sludge dry beds are exceedingly
rigorous and higher concentration of chlorine is required for decontamination and
other disinfection procedures such as UV radiation, Ozonization and sunlight disinfection are
required for the reduction. Further work will be carried out to design and construct a portable
low cost disinfection unit for the disinfection of harmful pathogenic microbes.