Journal of Environmental Biology

Effect of heavy metals (Hg and  Zn) on the growth and phosphate solubilising activity in halophilic phosphobacteria isolated from Manakudi mangrove

 

S.Ravikumar*, G.Prakash Williams, S. Shanthy,

N. Anitha Anantha Gracelin, S. Babu and P.S. Parimala

Division of Marine Microbiology and Medicine, Centre for Marine Science and Technology

Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Rajakkamangalam - 629 502, India

(Received: May 10, 2005 ; Revised received: September 8, 2005 ; Accepted: October 10, 2005)

Abstract: The diversity of phosphobacteria in Manakudi mangrove ecosystem of Tamil Nadu was carried out in root and rhizosphere soil samples.  The counts of phosphobacteria were found higher in root samples than in soil samples particularly in Hymenachene acutigluma. The abundance of phosphobacterial diversity in Manakudi mangrove showed high degree of positive correlation with the content of phosphate in rhizosphere soil of all the mangrove and associated plant species. Nine phosphobacterial species belonging to 7 genera were reported from Manakudi mangrove ecosystem. All the identified bacterial species are sensitive to both the heavy metals (mercury and zinc) in terms of growth and physiology even at lower concentrations. The content of protein and total sugars were increased by the higher concentrations of heavy metals whereas decreased trend was noticed in lower concentrations of heavy metals.

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