IDENTIFICATION OF BACTERIA FOR COD REDUCTION AND SLUDGE DEGRADATION IN CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS: A STUDY FROM VADODARA'S DUMPING SITE

Abstract

Untreated chemical effluents containing organic toxic pollutants have high COD values and result in very heavy sludge build up in water bodies; they are major environmental problems over a rapid industrialization area of Vadodara. Therefore, this work tries to isolate and characterize indigenous bacterial strains from the disposal site at Mujmahuda in Vadodara for their abilities to reduce COD values and sludge biodegradation capacities in treating industrial wastewaters. All eight bacterial strains (M1-M8) were evaluated for their potential wastewater biodegradation capacities. Only two strains M2 and M6 belong to Bacillus Stercoris (M2), and Bacillus Cereus (M6) among the eight strains, these two showed much higher abilities for COD reduction. The effectiveness of these strains was evaluated under a range of experimental conditions, such as varying time intervals (24, 48, 72, and 96 hours), varying pH levels (3.01 and 7.02–7.03), and the addition of a 5% bacterial booster dose. Based on the results, Bacillus Cereus (M6) showed the highest COD reduction (84.10%) at neutral pH (7.03) after 96 hours, followed by Bacillus Stercoris (M2), which showed a COD reduction of 78.50% under similar conditions. The Pack Mass Volume (PMV) Method of Sludge Degradation Analysis also Showed Significant Sludge Reduction, With M6 Reaching a final Sludge Content Of 4.10% and M2 Reaching 4.20% After 120 Hours. These results show how Bacillus Stercoris and Bacillus Cereus may be used in bioremediation techniques for treating industrial wastewater, providing a sustainable and environmentally friendly substitute for reducing industrial pollution..