KARACHI, Dec 26: A team of researchers working at the Centre for Molecular Genetics (CMG), University of Karachi, has successfully isolated a unique bacterium from the Arabian Sea, which can completely degrade and mineralize phenol, a known carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compound, found in abundance in effluent discharged by various industrial units.
Phenol has been declared a highly toxic and dangerous material by the World Health Organization (WHO) and various other international environmental and health organizations. It is largely utilized in plastic production. Its many other derivatives are also used in other local industries such as wood preservation, plywood making, pulp and paper mills, metal casting, petroleum refining, resins production and polymer production.
“Tons of phenol are being released to the environment in the form of industrial effluent and fumes by these industries, which is one of the most common and major cancer causing sources,” said Dr Nuzhat Ahmed, founding head of the CMG under whose supervision the researchers isolated the bacterium which has the tendency to break down the said compound into water and carbon dioxide.
She informed that after continuous and thorough research during the last four years, the centre was able to discover the said microorganism, which not only breaks down this deadly compound into innocuous state but the procedure also is environment-friendly and cost-effective.
“Phenol is responsible for causing serious health hazards for humans and it is equally dangerous for plants and animals,” she said and added that acute inhalation of or exposure to phenol caused muscle weakness, tremors and loss of coordination and paralysis and might lead to coma.
She revealed that According to WHO experts, respiratory arrest, changes taking place in blood, liver and kidney damage, cardiac depression and weak pulse rate had also been reported to be associated with acute exposure to the compound.
“Constant exposure to phenol is also highly harmful for foetus development and responsible for abnormalities in children at the time of birth. Various disorders of kidneys, liver and respiratory and central nervous system can also be caused by a minimum concentration of this deadly compound,” she said. Dr Nuzhat pointed out that thousands of tons of effluent containing phenol were being discharged into the sea, destroying the quantity and quality of seafood resources, polluting the sea and damaging the marine eco-system.
She said a team of researchers including Jameela Akhter and Fouad Qureshi, under her supervision had isolated the unique bacterium titled CMG-519 and further developed it in their labs, It could be used in biofilters to treat waste water, carrying phenol.
Results of their vital project were presented to an international conference on “Petroleum Contamination” recently held in London. She said so far various international agencies working for conservation of nature and environment had approached their department for the promotion of this technology.
She regretted that sufficient data and research was not available in the country on the mode of action of phenol inside the human body and its toxic repercussion. She stressed the need for conducting research and collection of data about the diseases associated with toxic materials, including phenol.
Lauding the role played by KU VC, Dr Z. F. Saify, in encouraging and promoting research activities at the university, she said they also collaborated with researchers and scientists at the HEJ and the University of Dundee, Scotland.—PPI
