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Abstract

High concentrations of tellurium solutions have acute and chronic effects on living things. Attempt was made to find a biological method for the removal of tellurite from environments and to determine the effects of different environmental factors on the removal of tellurite including pH (5.5-10.5), temperatures (25-45 °C), various concentrations of salts (NaCl, KCl, Na2SO4, 0.5-4 M), selenooxyanions (2-10mM), at different concentrations of potassium tellurite (0.5-1mM) in aerobic condition by a gram positive, moderately halophilic bacterial strain isolated from the Merinus Textile Factory effluent. On the basis of morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, the isolate was tentatively placed in the genus Salinicoccus. Maximum tellurite was removed at pH value of 7.5, temperature 35 °C, 1.5 M NaCl, 0.5 M Na2SO4, 1 M KCl, 6 mM sodium selenite. Concentration of the toxic potassium tellurite in the supernatant of the bacterial culture medium decreased from 0.5 mM to .005 mM after 6 days of incubation period (%99) and color of the medium was changed to black, due to the formation of elemental tellurium (less toxic). Presence of crystal elements within the bacterial cytoplasm was observed by TEM and confirmed with using EDS analysis.salts (NaCl, KCl, Na2SO4, 0.5-4 M), selenooxyanions (2-10mM), at different concentrations of potassium tellurite (0.5-1mM) in aerobic condition by a gram positive, moderately halophilic bacterial strain isolated from the Merinus Textile Factory effluent. On the basis of morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, the isolate was tentatively placed in the genus Salinicoccus. Maximum tellurite was removed at pH value of 7.5, temperature 35 °C, 1.5 M NaCl, 0.5 M Na2SO4, 1 M KCl, 6 mM sodium selenite. Concentration of the toxic potassium tellurite in the supernatant of the bacterial culture medium decreased from 0.5 mM to .005 mM after 6 days of incubation period (%99) and color of the medium was changed to black, due to the formation of elemental tellurium (less toxic). Presence of crystal elements within the bacterial cytoplasm was observed by TEM and confirmed with using EDS analysis.

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