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Liquid biomedical waste is a form of medical waste from community health centers (Pusat Kesehatan Masyarakat or Puskesmas) with high levels of health hazardous organic contaminants. Bioremediation is an alternative way to eliminate toxic components in liquid waste. A bacteria community that can be used as component of organic waste bioremediation is indigenous hydrolytic and non-pathogenic to low-pathogenic bacteria. From previous studies, 4 hydrolytic indigenous bacterial isolates with such characteristics were obtained from liquid clinical wastes of two health centers in Semarang City, namely H1, H3, H5 (from Puskesmas Halmahera), and T3 (from Puskesmas Tlogosari Kulon). This study aimed to reveal the molecular identity and kinship these bacterial isolates to understand more of their properties as consortium of bioremediation agent. Molecular identification and phylogenetic tree construction works were carried out based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. Sequences of 16S rRNA gene sequences were obtained by isolation and gene amplification using the PCR method followed by sequencing. Based on the results of molecular identification, the four isolates studied were in the same class, namely Gammaproteobacter with Phylum Proteobacter. H1 bacterial isolates have 98.01% similarity with Acinetobacter schindleri. H3 and H5 isolates share the same genus, Stenotrophomonas, with 99.79% similarity with S. maltophiphila and 97.69% with S. acidaminiphila, respectively. T3 isolate had a similarity of 98.85% with Pararheinheimera aquatica species, which was widely known as a potent bioremediation agent. The phylogenetic tree design with the MEGA 6 program showed that the H3 and H5 isolates had the closest kinship compared to the other two isolates, while the T3 isolates had the farthest relationship with the 3 other isolates. This is in line with the fact that T3 isolate was originated from a different location separating it from 3 other isolates.

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This study aimed to develop bioremediation agent with bacterial cells as components for the treatment of biomedical wastes from two hospitals in Semarang City (Central Java), i.e. Roemani Muhammadiyah (coded R1) and Wongsonegoro (coded R2). Single isolates and consortium of indigenous hydrolytic bacteria characterized as multiple hydrolytic enzyme producers with low-to non-pathogenic properties obtained from previous study were tested for their degradation performance. The degradation performance test is necessary to formulate components of bacterial consortium as bioremediation agent. The tests were conducted on the selected bacteria as single isolate and as consortium. The six bacteria tested as single colonies and as consortium were Bacillus velezensis R1.3, B. amyloliquefaciens R1.6, B. amyloliquefaciens R1.14, B. velezensis R1.16, B. licheniformis R2.5, and B. amyloliquefaciens R2.9. Degradation performance on biomedical waste mainly containing organic matters was assessed based on water pollution parameters on 4.0-L samples. They included a control, 6 samples treated with bacteria as single colonies, a sample treated with bacteria as indigenous consortium and a sample treated with bacteria as mixed consortium. Parameters of wastewater pollution measured included COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand), TSS (Total Soluble Solid), NH3, and PO4. Next, encapsulation of a bacterial consortium as the best condition for degradation was also carried out using maltodextrin to allow storage and preservation of the bioremediation agent for longer period. The encapsulated product was visualized in SEM images to evaluate its quality. The results showed that a consortium comprising 4 indigenous bacterial isolates from R1 hospital could decrease BOD of biomedical wastewater by 85% and TSS by 43%. Those from R2 showed performance in reducing PO4 by 21%. This study demonstrated that compared to single isolates and mixed bacterial consortium tested, the indigenous hydrolytic bacterial consortium showed better ability in improving BOD and TSS of liquid biomedical waste of R1 hospital.

BACKGROUNDLead acetate may inhibit the enzyme aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALAD) resulting in decreased heme synthesis (and consequently in anemia) but in increased number of reticulocyte cells. IR Bagendit paddy leaf water extract has a high metallothionein protein content which acts to bind to lead. The study objective was to determine whether aqueous IR Bagendit rice leaf extract dosage variations prior to lead exposure decreases reticulocyte count in lead-exposed rats.