Aims: Pollution of the environment with toxic heavy metals is spreading throughout the world with industrial progress. Metal pollution in industrial areas is of serious environmental concern as these metals like chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and cupper (Cu) are known to cause damage to living organisms including human beings. The study investigated the level of heavy metals and antibiotics resistance in bacteria isolated from rhizosphere soils contaminated with tannery effluents.
Methodology and Results: Soil samples were collected from three selected rhizosphere soils of the Tannery effluent contaminated environments and heavy metals resistant rhizobacteria were isolated from soil. A total of twenty one rhizobacteria were isolated from Potassium dichromate supplemented nutrient agar. These isolates were categorized under Pseudomonas species, Staphylococcus, Clostridium, Klebsiella species, Bacillus species, Listeria species, and Streptococcus species after biochemical tests. Further, these isolates were assessed for resistance to other heavy metals and antibiotic resistance. Most of these isolate exhibiting maximum resistance against both metals and antibiotics.
Conclusion, Significance and Impact of study: These heavy metal resistant bacteria can be useful for the bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated environment including industrial effluents.