S. Viswanathan’s scientific contributions

Azo dye degradation utilizing microorganisms has acquired significance over the last decades, owing to its beneficial properties such as rapid degradation, economic feasibility, and eco‐friendly. In this work, azo dyes (Methyl red and methylene blue) degradation efficacy using indigenous bacterial strains Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp. as free and immobilized cells were investigated under in vitro batch decolorization setup was carried. Most importantly, the bacterial cells of both strains were immobilized with sodium alginate and the immobilized cells were evaluated for dye decolorization efficacy under laboratory conditions. An eco‐toxic assessment of the degraded products was done using in vitro phytotoxicity tests and in silico analyses. Among the free and immobilized cells, maximum decolorization efficacy was observed in the Pseudomonas sp. immobilized cells which exhibited 74.5% decolorization efficacy, and the maximum decolorization efficacy of free cells was 63% of was observed. Ecotoxicity of the dye‐degraded products was screened by determination of phytotoxicity. Seedlings emergence of groundnut seeds exposed to degraded dye products revealed phytotoxicity. Results indicated that degraded dye products of methyl red derived from Pseudomonas sp. showed 93.0% seedling emergence, and methylene blue‐degraded products Pseudomonas sp. degraded dye products supported 92.0% seedling emergence, respectively. Bacterial cells immobilized with biocompatible polymers can be effectively utilized in wastewater treatment without affecting the ecological components. The findings highlight the value of this work in contributing to the domain of sustainable and eco‐friendly wastewater treatment technology.