GERMS IN CITY ‘SOAK UP’ HEAVY METALS

As contamination by heavy metals becomes a serious threat, a few bacteria seem to provide a plausible solution for cleaning up the mess.

Two studies published by researchers from St Francis College for Women and BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, isolated two bacteria having high tolerance to heavy metals.

Researchers from BITS Pilani isolated the bacteria Halomonas BVR 1 from a polluted lake in Hyderabad and found that it was tolerant to concentrations of 400milligram/litre (mg/L) of lead, 200 mg/L of cadmium, 250mg/L of zinc and 150 mg/L of chromium.

The researcher from St Francis isolated Bacillus licheniformis from an e-waste dumping yard in Shamshabad which was found to be tolerant to high concentrations of lead. They are being tested for tolerance towards barium, mercury, berilium.

However, bacteria developing tolerance towards heavy metals might prove useful to humans.

Y. Gayatri, of the microbiology department at St Francis college, says, “Either the bacteria or protein that increases a bacteria’s tolerance to heavy metals can be developed into some kind of a composite material like pellets or powder which can in turn be used in water and soil to remove heavy metals. As of now, it’s still in research stage. In the near future remediation of water and soil contaminated by heavy metals can be done by bacteria.”