BIOREMEDIATION OF ARSENIC IN RICE BY ARSENIC RESISTANT BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM LAKE VAN, TURKEY, THE LARGEST SODA LAKE

Rice is a staple food for more than 700 million people worldwide. However, arsenic contamination in rice farming areas is one of the most important threats to public health. Arsenic contamination has a negative effect on many physiological and biochemical properties and productivity of rice as well as has a highly toxic effect on living beings in relation to increasing cancer cases. In this study, for the removal of arsenic with phyto and microbial remediation, a convenient and eco-friendly approach, Gonen rice one of the rice variety native to Turkey and arsenic resistant strains of Halomonas isolated from Lake Van were used in the experiments. In the results of all experiment, H. campisalis strain (4-S-1-1 B) which was considered to be advantageous in terms of arsenite [As(III)] bioremediation potential was examined for its effects on rice and in the presence of this strain, a significant decrease in the amount of arsenic in the soil was detected. As a matter of fact, experimental results showed that in the soils where rice growth was achieved, removal of arsenic was at values varying between 36.37% and 64.38%. It has also been found that the presence of the strain reduces arsenic accumulation in the root. In addition to this, the fact that the presence of the strain has increased the amount of arsenic accumulated in the shoots has emerged as an indication of a successful phytomicrobial remediation. For this reason, it is thought that this study will shed light on advanced remediation studies.