Bacterial diversity in Cr(VI) and Cr(III)-contaminated industrial wastewaters

The bacterial community structure of a chromium water bath, a chromium drainage waste system, a chromium pretreatment tank, and a trivalent chromium precipitation tank from the Hellenic Aerospace Industry S.A. was assessed using 16S rRNA libraries and a high-density DNA microarray (PhyloChip). 16S rRNA libraries revealed a bacterial diversity consisting of 14 distinct operational taxonomic units belonging to five bacterial phyla: Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. However, employing a novel microarray-based approach (PhyloChip), a high bacterial diversity consisting of 30 different phyla was revealed, with representatives of 181 different families. This made it possible to identify a core set of genera present in all wastewater treatment stages examined, consisting of members of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Epsilonproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. In the chromium pretreatment tank, where the concentration of Cr(VI) is high (2.3 mg/l), we identified the presence of Pseudomonadales, Actinomycetales, and Enterobacteriales in abundance. In the chromium precipitation tank, where the concentration of Cr(III) is high, the dominant bacteria consortia were replaced by members of Rhodocyclales and Chloroflexi. The bacterial community structure changed significantly with changes in the chromium concentration. This in-depth analysis should prove useful for the design and development of improved bioremediation strategies.