BIOREMEDIATION OF AQUACULTURE WASTEWATER USING PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA

Ahmad Idi

Department of Biological Sciences,

Adamawa State University, Mubi.

Email address:: ahmadidy@yahoo.com, ahmadidy2010@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Aquaculture plays a significant role in the provision of food to ever growing population. But high amount of toxic compounds like ammonium produced as a bye-product of fish metabolism are detrimental to both the cultured fish and surrounding environment.  In this view, photosynthetic bacteria were isolated and their ability to remediate aquaculture wastewater was assessed.  The aquaculture wastewater was characterized and all wastewater parameters were found to be above the standard discharge limit provided the environmental protection act. The photosynthesis activity of the isolates were determined by detecting the presence of bacteriochlorophya and carotenoid pigments at 800 and 865 nm respectively. The isolated bacteria were found to remove ammonium, nitrite and nitrate from the wastewater. One of the isolate was characterized by molecular technique using 16S rRNA analysis and Identified as Rhodobacterspheroides ADZ101. Hence this group of bacteria can provide cheap alternative means of removing toxic nitrogenous compounds from aquaculture wastewater.

Keywords: Bacteriochlorophyll, carotenoid, nitrogenous compounds, Rhodobacterspheroides ADZ101