Physicochemical characterization of lead-resistant soil bacteria from Maimalari Military Cantonment, Maiduguri

Lead contamination in soils poses significant environmental and public health risks due to its toxicity and persistence. Shooting ranges are recognized as hotspots for lead pollution, primarily resulting from the accumulation of lead dust generated during firing. Although various remediation strategies exist, bioremediation has emerged as a sustainable and ecologically viable approach that utilizes the natural metabolic processes of microorganisms to detoxify or immobilize pollutants. This study investigates the lead concentration in soils and the tolerance capacity of bacterial isolates, alongside the physico-chemical characteristics of soils from a firing range. Soil samples were collected from five randomly selected sites, both at the surface and at a depth of fifteen centimeters. Lead presence was confirmed using spectrophotometric analysis, and thirteen bacterial strains were successfully isolated. Among these, Proteus mirabilis, Providencia species, and Acinetobacter species exhibited notable tolerance to elevated lead concentrations. The findings suggest that these bacteria possess potential for application in bioremediation strategies aimed at mitigating heavy metal contamination in firing range environments and other similarly impacted ecosystems. Keywords: Acinetobacter; bioremediation; heavy metals; lead pollution; Proteus mirabilis.