Annika Durve, Sayali Naphade, Meeta Bhot, Jossy Varghese and Naresh Chandra
Heavy metals released from various industrial effluents have damaging effects on ecosystem and may become a health hazard to man and animals. Some heavy metals at low concentrations are essential micronutrients for various life forms, but in higher concentrations, they tend to cause metabolic disorders and growth inhibition. Microorganisms have evolved several mechanisms to tolerate the presence of heavy metals by efflux, complexation or reduction of metal ions to non toxic forms. Microorganisms isolated from industrial effluent discharges were found to tolerate high levels of Cadmium (3000 ppm), Lead (600 ppm), Arsenic (1500 ppm) and Mercury (500 ppm). These isolates were seen to have high level of tolerance to various xenobiotic compounds like pesticides and showed multi-drug resistance. The residual heavy metals (Cadmium, Lead, Arsenic and Mercury) after bioaccumulation were analyzed using ICP-AES technique and the isolates showed 70-80% bioaccumulation of heavy metals. The metal uptake property of these isolates show a potential to be applied for the heavy metal removal from industrial effluents thus saving the ecosystem from the disastrous effects due to heavy metal pollution.
