Microbial Transformation of Heavy Metals

Abstract

In natural environments, the average abundance of heavy metals is generally low and much of that sequestered in sediments, soil and mineral deposits may be biologically unavailable. Microorganisms have ability to adapt and live in all ecological condition. In natural habitat, the cause for microbes on heavy metal depends on the physico-chemical properties of the environmental condition. Microbes can metabolize the metal ion and yield energy through oxidation and reduction process by dissolving them. Many trace metals are necessary for growth and metabolism at low concentrations, (e.g. Co, Cu, Ni, Mo, Fe, Zn), and microorganism acquires mechanisms of varying specificity for the intracellular increase from the external environment. The molecular mechanism of microorganism and plants in the removal of toxic heavy metals into nontoxic form using plants and microorganisms is well studied, and this has many biotechnology implications in the bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated sites.