Abstract
Uptake of heavy metals, silver and cadmium by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a Gram negative bacterium) and Micrococcus luteus (a Gram positive bacterium) was investigated in Cadmium and Silver stock solution using ion selective electrodes. Silver and cadmium uptake by the two organisms was described by Langmuir isotherms. Binding at one site type is indicated. It was observed that both organisms showed rapid uptake of metal mostly in the first minute. Uptake was complete by ten minutes. Micrococcus luteus concentrated more metal than Pseudomonas aeruginosa. M. luteus took up 200% more silver and 100% more cadmium than P. aeruginosa. We conclude that the two organisms, particularly M. Luteus have very high bioremediation potentials in heavy metals polluted environment.Keywords: Heavy metals, Pseudomonas, Langmuir isotherms, Silver, Cadmium
Highlights
Materials and MethodsMan’s activities generate heavy metal wastes
Of the total silver taken up over a ten minute period Micrococcus accumulated 97% of its total uptake in the first minute, while Pseudomonas took up 87%
Micrococcus took up 200% more silver than Pseudomonas over the ten minute period (Fig. 1)
Summary
The processes of industrial manufacturing (Ajmal and Khan, 1985; Gazsó, 2001) and metal mining (Denny and Welsh, 1979,; Johnson and Eaton, 1980,; Beyer et al, 1985) release large quantities of metals into the environment. Discharge of cadmium into natural waters may be through electroplating activities (Higgins and Desher, 1986), nickel-cadmium battery manufacture and/or smelter operations (Butterworth, et al, 1972). Industrial wastes that contain these metals find their way into sewage treatment works (Cheng et al, 1975; Tyagi et al, 1988). In many cases the sludge from these works contains high concentrations of metal, which is deposited on agricultural land (Schauer et al, 1980; Dressler et al, 1986)
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