Chapters authored
Remedial Approaches against Arsenic Pollution
The study is devoted to a very urgent and acute problem for Georgia – remediation/restoration of the arsenic (As) mining and storage sites. The approach of a given work is based on using capabilities of nature itself, which has a great adaptive potential to chemical environmental pollution. The aim of the study is to identify the bacterial strains from the endemic soil microbiota, characteristic to a specific localization of arsenic contaminated sites and able to resist to the toxicant. To determine the level of arsenic contamination, soil samples have been analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry method. The distribution of arsenic in soil samples splits them into categories according to the degree of contamination, ranging from 50 ppm to 13000 ppm. The local bacteria community has been studied using conventional cultivation method along with modern method of bioindication – a biochip. The low density biochip contains the relevant probes for the identification of the bacterial consortium in soil microbiota. Chemical and microbiological analysis was based on the standards and methodologies developed by International Standards Organizations – ISO and Environmental Protection Agency – EPA. It is prospected that bioremediation can become essential part of remediation against arsenic pollution in the context of circular economy.
Part of the book: Arsenic Monitoring, Removal and Remediation
Bioplastics against Microplastics: Screening of Environmental Bacteria for Bioplastics Production
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biopolymers produced by numerous bacteria and can be used in the production of bioplastics. PHAs are synthesized by microorganisms by fermentation of carbon sources. Due to the different monomer structures of PHAs, there are many kinds of PHAs, and their corresponding material properties are also very different. Thus, the search for bacteria producing the PHAs is of great interest. In this study, the bacteria isolated from the environment were analyzed for the presence of PHA. PHA production was tested with staining methods Sudan Black B, Nile Blue, and Nile Red. The presence of a PHA synthase gene (phaC) was confirmed by PCR amplification. PHAs were extracted from the strains and characterized by the FTIR spectroscopy method. A biochip for a fast screening of environmental samples for the presence of PHA-producing bacteria was designed. The biochip contained 11 probes for coding class 1, 2, and 3 PHA synthase genes.
Part of the book: Advances and Challenges in Microplastics