Biosorptive removal of selected metal ions from simulated wastewater using highly metal-resistant bacteria

In the current scenario of the need for cost-effective remediation, our study aimed to assess the remedial potential of bacteria obtained from metal-rich wastewater. To simulate the conditions, we prepared wastewater containing five toxic metals (Cu, Cr, Ni, Fe, and Pb). Two types of metal-resistant bacteria were isolated from a prominent wastewater drain in Lahore, Pakistan. These isolated bacteria were thoroughly characterized—both phenotypically and genotypically. Subsequently, the isolated bacteria were exposed to the wastewater solution containing each of the aforementioned metals at a concentration of 250 ppm. The exposed isolates were then incubated for a duration of 15 days. After 5 days, we measured the uptake of metals by the bacterial isolates. Following the 15-day incubation period, we observed that the bacterial isolates demonstrated the maximum efficiency in removing metals, with approximately 47.5% of Fe, 77% of Ni, 75.75% of Cu, 64% of Cr, and 82.5% of Pb being removed. These findings have significant implications for the development of environmentally friendly and cost-effective strategies for metal ion remediation.