ISOLATION AND  CHARACTERIZATION OF  HIGH AMBIENT ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION (EMR) BACTERIA

NOOR AFIZA  BADALUDDIN; SEET YONG  YIN; ROSLAN  UMAR; NOR HAZMIN  SABRI; NURUL SYAFIQAH  HASSHIM; MOHAMMAD KHAIRUDDIN  ALI; A. RASHAD  MOHAMED

doi:10.55230/mabjournal.v49i4.1608

Authors

NOOR AFIZA BADALUDDIN School of Agriculture Science & Biotechnology, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut Campus, 22000 Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia
SEET YONG YIN School of Agriculture Science & Biotechnology, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Besut Campus, 22000 Besut, Terengganu, Malaysia
ROSLAN UMAR
roslan@unisza.edu.my
East Coast Environmental Research Institute, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
NOR HAZMIN SABRI Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
NURUL SYAFIQAH HASSHIM East Coast Environmental Research Institute, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
MOHAMMAD KHAIRUDDIN ALI East Coast Environmental Research Institute, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia;DNZ Teknik Enterprise, 796 Kg Kubang Birai, Jalan Kubang Panjang 21400 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
A. RASHAD MOHAMED DNZ Teknik Enterprise, 796 Kg Kubang Birai, Jalan Kubang Panjang 21400 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia

Keywords:

Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR), bacteria, Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR), mutagenicity, bioremediator

Abstract

Low-frequency electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exists in our environment and remain unnoticeable. Studies show that EMR exposure may affect human health, animal, plants, and also living microorganisms. Therefore, this study intended to isolate, identify, and characterize bacteria exposed to high ambient EMR as well as to determine the viability and mutagenicity of bacteria exposed to different frequencies. The bacterial samples were collected from two areas with high and low electric field strengths; Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) hostel (0.14 V/M) and near Lake of UniSZA (Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin) (0.03 V/M). The bacteria were identified and characterized by several methods. The viability and mutagenicity of each bacterial species were determined by counting the number of colonies formed in the enriched (standard) and minimal media after exposure of 10 MHz and 5 GHz frequencies. The results show that Enterobacter sp., which was isolated in UMT hostel, exhibited non-mutagenic and increased viability after 24 hr of exposure to both EMR frequencies of 10 MHz and 5 GHz. Thus, this bacterial species should be further studied since it has the potential as a bioremediator.