Use of natural bio-sorbent in removing dye, heavy metal and antibiotic-resistant bacteria from industrial wastewater

Abstract In this study, we evaluated the ability of waste shell powder (WSP) and moringa seed powder (MSP) individually or in combination to eliminate dye, heavy metal and resistant bacteria from the industrial wastewater (IWW). The presence of dyes, heavy metals, approximately 7.0 log CFU/ml of aerobic bacteria and 3.0–4.0 log CFU/ml of other pathogens including Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Citrobacter freundii , Serratia liquefaciens and Bacillus cereus was evident in IWW of both tannery and textile industries. In addition, depending on the type of bacterial species each bacterium was resistant to as high as 50 ppm of multi-metal (Cr 6+ , Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ or its combination) and even multi-drug resistant (amoxicillin, ampicillin, cefixime, ceftazidime,…