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Isolation of Bacteria from Lead-Contaminated Soil and Bacterial Interaction Test with Plant Growing on Lead-Amended Media

Summary

Researchers discovered special bacteria from lead-contaminated soil that can accumulate and neutralize lead while also producing a plant hormone called IAA. When these bacteria were added to three ornamental plants growing in lead-contaminated soil, the plants grew better and absorbed less lead. This discovery offers a promising natural and sustainable way to clean up lead-polluted environments by combining bacteria and plants.

Background

Lead contamination in soil poses significant environmental and health risks through food chain accumulation. Microbial immobilization using heavy metal-tolerant bacteria offers a sustainable remediation approach. This study investigates lead-tolerant bacteria isolated from contaminated soil for their potential in bioremediation strategies.

Objective

To isolate and characterize lead-tolerant bacteria from contaminated soil, evaluate their IAA production and bioaccumulation capacity, and assess their effectiveness in alleviating lead stress on three ornamental plant species.

Results

Twenty-six lead-tolerant bacterial isolates were identified, with three isolates (L03, L16, L19) tolerating 1,500 mg/L lead and exhibiting bioaccumulation efficiencies of 71.2-81.1%. Lysinibacillus fusiformis (L16) produced the highest IAA concentration (7.78 mg/L) and most effectively reduced lead absorption in D. reflexa while increasing fresh weight and root length.

Conclusion

Integrating lead-tolerant IAA-producing bacteria, particularly L. fusiformis, into phytoremediation strategies offers an effective and sustainable approach for remediating lead-contaminated environments. The bacterium shows promise for combined bio-phytoremediation applications with hyperaccumulator plants.
  • Published in:Tropical Life Sciences Research,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: PMID: 41244245, DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2025.36.2.11
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