NIO develops marine bacteria to decolorize and detoxify dye

The National Institute of Oceanography has developed a marine bacterial strain, Shewanella decolorationis (MBTD16), which could be used to decolorize textile dyes—particularly Victoria Blue (VB-B) and Congo Red (CR). 

Dye removal index showed 96% decolorization activity, says NIO. Water reuse approaches indicated the usage of the dye VB-B and the amount of water could be reduced by ~50%. 

Bacterially treated samples could enhance the light intensity in the water by 38% and the primary production five times higher than the untreated. 

By using this technology, usage of water in industrial processes and pollution levels in the environment could be minimized. 

To produce this, you would need large scale fermenters to mass culture the bacteria. 

For details contact: 

The Director, CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula, Goa, INDIA - 403004 Tel: +91 832-2450200, Fax: +91 832-2450602, Email: director@nio.org