Exploring the diversity and bioremediation potential of thermohalophilic bacteria from Wawolesea geothermal spring, southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia
			
	
 
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				1
				Master Program, Chemistry Department, Mathematics and Natural Sciences Faculty, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
				 
			 
						
				2
				Chemistry Department, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
				 
			 
										
				
				
		
		 
			
			
		
		
		
		
		
		
	
							
										    		
    			 
    			
    				    					Corresponding author
    					    				    				
    					Hasnah  Natsir   
    					Chemistry Department, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Hasanuddin University, Makassar 90245, Indonesia
    				
 
    			
				 
    			 
    		 		
			
																											 
		
	 
		
 
 
Ecol. Eng. Environ. Technol. 2025; 7:179-185
		
 
 
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ABSTRACT
The Wawolesea hot springs in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, are one of the extreme environments with significant potential for the diversity of extremophilic microorganisms, particularly thermohalophilic bacteria. These bacteria are capable of surviving in high temperature conditions and high salt concentrations, which enables them to develop various enzymes that are stable under extreme conditions. This study aims to explore the diversity of thermohalophilic bacteria found in the Wawolesea hot springs and evaluate their bioremediation potential, particularly in addressing environmental pollution caused by heavy metals. Bacterial isolation was carried out using the pour plate and streak methods on nutrient agar (NA) medium, followed by incubation of the bacterial cultures at 48°C for 24 hours. Genetic identification using 16S rRNA PCR amplification produced a target band of 1300 bp, indicating the presence of various Enterobacter sp., Enterobacter ludwigii, Enterobacter roggenkampii, Enterobacter asburiae, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter mori, Enterobacter quasiroggenkampii, Enterobacter vonholyi, Enterobacter pseudoroggenkampii, and Cedecea davisae. The bioremediation potential of these bacteria was based on reported research owing to their ability to accumulate heavy metals, such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni), as well as degrade harmful organic compounds. The results of the study showed that the isolated bacteria have significant bioremediation potential, with several species demonstrating the ability to reduce heavy metal concentrations and accumulate toxic compounds without showing clear signs of toxicity. These findings suggest that thermohalophilic bacteria from the Wawolesea hot springs hold promising applications in biotechnology, particularly in the development of environmentally friendly solutions to address heavy metal pollution and other harmful compounds.