Revista de biorremediación y biodegradación

Abstracto

Isolation and Characterization of a Pseudomonas fluorescens Strain Tolerant to Major Indian Water Pollutants

Samina Wasi, Shams Tabrez and Masood Ahmad

Degradation or biotransformation of xenobiotics by members of soil microflora is an important means by which these substances are removed from the environment thus preventing from becoming a pollution problem. Several studies conducted in India suggested that the major toxicants present in surface water are heavy metals, pesticides and phenolics. The strain SM1 isolated from soil contaminated with domestic and industrial wastes of Aligarh city was characterized on the basis of morphological, cultural and biochemical properties and presumptively identifi ed as Pseudomonas fluorescens. This Pseudomonas fluorescens SM1 strain could grow well in presence of 2.34 mM Pb2+, 5.07 mM Ni2+, 11.7 mM Cu2+, 0.13 mM Cr6+ and 2.7 mM Cd2+ taken in combination in the culture medium and also seemed to utilize some pesticides namely BHC, 2,4-D, mancozeb, as well as phenolics e.g. cresol, phenols, catechol and resorcinol as the source of carbon and energy. Therefore, Pseudomonas fluorescens SM1 strain could be a good candidate for remediation of some heavy metals, phenolics and pesticides in heavily polluted sites.