Phosphate Solubilisation by Four Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria Isolated from Leather Industry Effluents

Four anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, Rhodobacterium (Rb.) capsulatus, Rhodopseudomonas (Rps.) acidophila, Rps. rutila and Rhodospirillum (Rsp.) rubrum, isolated from wastewaters, were tested for their ability to solubilize tricalcium and dicalcium phosphate under different conditions. Rps. rutila was superior to other bacteria under investigation in solubilisation of tricalcium phosphate. Rsp. rubrum was poor in solubilization of tricalcium phosphate. Rsp. rubrum and Rb. capsulatus could solubilise dicalcium phosphate with almost same efficiency while Rps. acidophila was more efficient in solubilization of dicalcium phosphate. Thus, these bacteria can be exploited in solubilization of phosphate.