Isolation and Characterization of Lead (Pb) Degrading Bacteria in Lamong Bay, Surabaya

Abstract

Industrial and human activities can increase lead (Pb) metal waste in Lamong Bay, Surabaya, which is located in Asemrowo District, Surabaya. Increasing activities may lead higher pollution rate in that area. Therefore, an alternative method is needed to deal with Pb heavy metal pollution in the waters. One alternative is biodegradation using indigenous bacteria. This research aimed to isolate and characterize indigenous Pb-degrading bacteria from Lamong Bay, Surabaya. The steps in this research were isolation using media containing Pb (10 ppm) followed by characterization of potential bacteria based on macroscopic and microscopic observations. Macroscopic observations included the morphology of the colony, while microscopic observations included Gram type, cell shape, and cell arrangement. The results obtained two bacterial isolates that grew dominantly on the media containing 10 ppm Pb. The isolates were coded as TLS0.3 and TLS0.7. The TLS0.3 isolate showed gram-positive characteristics and coccus-shaped cells, while the TLS0.7 isolate was a gram-negative bacteria in the form of a bacillus. Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that two bacterial isolates have the potential to degrade Pb. The two bacterial isolates need to be further identified so that their potential as Pb-degrading agents can be optimized.