Increasing industrialization and urbanization result in the discharge of waste to the environment, which in turn creates more pollution. Environmental biotechnology is constantly expanding its efforts in the biological treatment of colored textile effluents, which is an environmental friendly and low cost alternative to physico-chemical decomposition processes. In the present study, effluent samples were collected from various textile and dyeing industries located in and around Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu, India and were exploited for the screening and isolation of bacterial strains that were capable of decolorizing the textile dye, Evans Blue. Optimization of cultural conditions (Temperature, pH, Agitation speeds and Dye concentrations) were carried out to maximize the bacterial growth of E. coli strain AKIP-2 and its decolorization efficiency towards Evans Blue. Both bacterial biomass and decolorization efficiency was found to be optimized at 35°C, neutral pH, after 24 h of incubation. Static conditions proved to be effective in maximizing decolorization. Increase in dye concentration decreased both bacterial growth and decolorization efficiency of E. coli strain AKIP-2. | Bioremediation and detoxification of a textile azo dye-evans blue by bacterial strain AKIP-2
