Heavy Metal Tolerance and Antibiotic Profiling of Bacterial Isolates from Hot Springs of Odisha

Heavy metals released from various industrial effluents have damaging effects on ecosystem and may become a health hazard to man and animals. The present study deals with isolation and characterization of heavy metal and antibiotic resistant thermophilic bacteria isolated from water samples of Atri, Tarabalo and Taptapani hot springs in provinces of Khurda, Nayagard and Ganjam from Odisha, respectively. Endospore forming, aerobic, gram positive, rod-shaped bacteria were isolated from these three hot springs of Odisha. The water temperatures of these hot springs were between 56.8 - 60 degrees C and pH of water was recorded as 8 - 8.6. These thermophiles showed optimum growth at 55 degrees C and pH 8. The bacterial isolates exhibit varying degree of resistance to various heavy metals and antibiotics tested. Of the 21 thermophilic bacterial isolates screened, about 33.3%, 38.1%, and 52.38% were found to tolerate high levels of Mercury (200 ppm), Chromium (600ppm) and Lead (800 ppm) respectively. The multiple metal resistances of these isolates were also associated with resistance to antibiotics Erythromycin, Methicillin, Nitrofurantoin, Polymyxin, Sparfloxacin, Streptomycin and Vancomycin. The identified heavy metal resistant thermophilic bacteria could be useful for the bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated sewage and waste water.