HEAVY METAL BIO-ACCUMULATING MICROBIAL ISOLATES FOR REMEDIATION OF METAL CONTAMINANTS FROM INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS

RICHA JHA¹*, SONU KUMAR², HIMANSHU AVASHTHI³, ARVIND KUMAR YADAV⁴, SANTOSH KUMAR⁵, ABHILASHA MISHRA^6
1Department of Biotechnology, Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Uttaranchal University, Arcadia Grant, Dehradun, 248007, Uttarakhand, India
²Department of Biotechnology, Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Uttaranchal University, Arcadia Grant, Dehradun, 248007, Uttarakhand, India
³ICAR-Agricultural Knowledge Management Unit, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
⁴ICAR-National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
⁵Best Sire Genetics Private Limited, Basdhara, Gharaunda, Haryana, 132114, India
⁶Department of Biotechnology, Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Uttaranchal University, Arcadia Grant, Dehradun, 248007, Uttarakhand, India
* Corresponding Author : richajha2510@gmail.com

Received : 29-12-2016     Accepted : 12-01-2017     Published : 28-01-2017
Volume : 9     Issue : 1       Pages : 837 - 841
Int J Microbiol Res 9.1 (2017):837-841

Keywords : Bioremediation, Minimal inhibitory concentration, Effluents, Intoxication, Tolerance ability
Academic Editor : Dr Shambhavi Yadav
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are grateful to Department of Biotechnology, Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India for providing all necessary facilities like laboratory equipments, chemicals etc. for conducting quality research in area of Micro-biotechnology
Author Contribution : None declared

Textile and printing industries have tremendously increased the content of heavy metals in the soil and water ecosystem. Although the presence of other contaminants like xenobiotics, pesticides and organic matter cannot be ruled out, the extensively high levels of heavy metals in the environment pose a serious threat to the aquatic, microbial, plant and human systems creating imbalance in biogeochemical cycles. In the present study, microbes surviving in industrial effluents were isolated and characterized. These isolates were analyzed for their respective potential to tolerate and accumulate heavy metal contaminants. The remediation ability was studied against major life threatening heavy metal pollutants like Cu, Cr, Ni and Pb and their relative tolerance ability was estimated by calculating MIC. The isolates depicted significant potential to bio-accumulate heavy metal pollutants at an average concentration of 1mg/ml metal concentration. Different isolates were also analyzed for their rate of accumulation at different time intervals and most relevant bacteria were characterized for identification. Among these isolates Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella and E.coli were found to be most significant in reducing Pd, Ni and Cu heavy metal content respectively in the culture media. These isolates may be extensively used in the treatment of effluents from ink, printing and textile industries and preventing heavy metal intoxication in animals and humans.