Asian Journal of Research in Biology

The pollution of the environment with toxic heavy metals is spreading throughout the world along with industrial progress. Heavy metals even in trace amount are toxic to the environment and human health. Microbes related technologies may provide an alternative or addition to conventional method of metal removal or metal recovery. The present paper deals with the molecular characterization of heavy metal tolerant bacteria from contaminated soil and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were determined. The molecular analysis revealed that heavy metals tolerance bacteria were Bacillus cereus strain S2-8 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA1 with  maximum homology 82% and 99% similarity respectively. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values for Bacillus cereus, for Mercury salt (HgNO₃), Lead (PbNO₃), Chromium salt (K₂Cr₂O₇) and Zinc (ZnCl₂) were 10 mg/ml, 10mg/ml, 1mg/ml and 100 mg/ml respectively. While the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values for Pseudomonas aeruginosa  PA1, for Mercury salt (HgNO₃), Lead (PbNO₃), Chromium salt (K₂Cr₂O₇) and Zinc (ZnCl₂) were 10 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml,10mg/ml and 100 mg/ml respectively. Bacillus cereus strain S2-8 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA1 have potential use for bioremediation of  heavy metals in  contaminated sites due to its ability to resist heavy metals.