Exploring cadmium tolerance in soil microbes: Isolation and identification of resistant strains

Cadmium poses detrimental effects on our surrounding environment and causes various health hazards. In this research, the bacterial diversity of soil samples procured from the contaminated sites of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India was investigated and their cadmium removal potential was assessed. 16S rRna sequencing was followed for the identification of two isolates, which belong to the same genus, Cupriavidus sp. This genus was used for assessing the cadmium bioremediation potential. It was found that the strain S1CL (Cupriavidus necator) exhibited a high ability to remove cadmium (9 %) compared to S3CL (Cupriavidus alkaliphilus), which removed 2 %. The strains were compatible to each other and exhibited 1 2% removal efficiency in combination. The results revealed that Cupriavidus necator possessed a great potential for the cadmium bioremediation process.