Biosorption of heavy metals by a lead (Pb) resistant bacterium, Staphylococcus hominis strain AMB-2.

In the present study, a highly lead (Pb) resistant bacterium, Staphylococcus hominis strain AMB-2 was isolated from Mandoli industrial area, Delhi and selected for heavy metal biosorption considering multiple heavy metal resistance. In the batch experiment, both living and dead biomasses of strain AMB-2 showed biosorption of Pb and cadmium (Cd) in single and binary systems as analysed through ICM OES. Living biomass exhibited more biosorption of metals than dead biomass in both single and binary systems. However, in binary system, metals competed for the attachment sites on the bacterial surface, where Pb got more preference over Cd for the same. The underlying mechanism for the biosorption was attachment of the metal ions through functional groups on to the surface of the biomass as revealed by SEM-EDX, FT-IR and XRD. Conclusively, this study displayed an effective biotreatment of Pb and Cd from aqueous medium using a low cost biosorbent prepared from Staphylococcus hominis strain AMB-2 considering biosafety of microorganisms and an eco-friendly approach. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.