With the industrial progress, the presence of toxic heavy metals is
increasing in the environment and polluting it to a great extent. Wastewater
discharged due to sewage sludge applications and from industries is leaving
detrimental effect on society as well as biological systems. Therefore,
preventing heavy metal pollution is crucial for protecting the environment and
cleaning contaminated sites. Applications of conventional technologies like ion
exchange, reverse osmosis, chemical precipitation and evaporation recovery for
this very purpose prove to be quite expensive and inefficient, so far. Research
has demonstrated that bioremediation is the most effective and inexpensive
method of cleaning up contaminated soil and water. This paper will throw some
light on indigenous microbes that have high tolerance level to heavy metal and
play cardinal role in restoration of sites. To survive under metal?stressed
conditions, bacteria have evolved several types of mechanisms to tolerate the
uptake of heavy metal ions. The fundamental principles include the efflux of
metal ions outside the cell, accumulation and complexation of the metal ions
inside the cell and reduction of the heavy metal ions to a less toxic state.
For getting insight about new isolates, bacterial diversity under unfavorable
conditions and new genetic information on heavy metal resistance, it is pivotal
to study the indigenous microorganisms at polluted sites. - See more at:
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