BACTERIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AS A NEW APPROACH FOR DESALINATION OF SALTY WATER

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Botany and Microbiology Dept., Faculty of Science(Boys), Al-Azhar University, Madinet Nasr , Cairo, Egypt. P.N. 11884.

Abstract

Forty eight halotolerant microbial isolates were isolated from water and soil samples collected from Mediterranean sea (Alexandria), Ein-Helwan (Helwan), Red Sea (Hurghada), and Qarun lake (El-Fayoum). Soil samples were collected from Alexandria, Ein-Helwan, Qaron, El-Toor, and Sant-Katren. Three halotolerant bacterial isolates were chosen as the most potent halotolerant bacterial isolates for bacterial desalination of sea water. These isolates were identified as Sporohalobacter marisomartui BEW45, Marinococcus hispanicus BEW47 and Halomonas elongata BAW48. Combination of the three potent halotolerant bacterial isolates exhibited high desalination percentage. The highest desalination percentage (%) was achieved at 37 ºC, pH 6,  for168 h., inoculum size 2.5 ml (each ml contain 67 x 107 cells, CFU), no tested carbon sources and yeast extract as best nitrogen source. The best bacterial desalination of sea water was performed by repeated recycling the sea water three times, by subjecting water to there potent halotolerant bacterial strains. The desalination percentage (%) of Ca++, Mg++, Cl-, Na+ and K+ reached up to 88, 78, 79, 76 and 63% respectively. The resulted desalinated sea water was used in irrigation of Hordeum vulgare Giza 2. This study  recommend the possibility of the selected strains to desalinate of salty water by designing of desalination plants similar to wastewater treatment plants  to be used in irrigation of some economic crops and woody forest trees.

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