PROMINENT BACTERIAL ISOLATES FOR DECOLOURISATION OF DISTILLERY SPENT WASH

Abstract

Molasses-based distilleries produce large volumes of spent wash, a major environmental pollutant due to its high organic load and dark brown color. This coloration is primarily caused by melanoidins, which form through the Maillard reaction, a non-enzymatic process between sugars and amino acids. In this study, eight promising bacterial strains were selected from 40 isolates and designated as S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, and S8. These isolates were screened for their ability to decolorize distillery spent wash using both qualitative and quantitative analyses. Among them, isolate S5 exhibited the highest decolorization potential across different spent wash concentrations (10%, 20%, and 40%). Notably, at a 10% concentration, isolate S5 achieved complete (100%) decolorization, making it the most efficient strain in this study. Based on preliminary characterization, isolate S5 was tentatively identified as Planococcus species. Its exceptional decolorization ability suggests that it holds significant potential for commercial application in the bioremediation of distillery wastewater. Further research on optimizing environmental conditions and scaling up the process could pave the way for an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution to mitigate the environmental impact of distillery effluents.