Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2000.1496.1499El-BestawyE. 9200039Heavy metals represent a significant source of pollution for the aquatic environment. The response of brackish water bacteria to increase concentrations of heavy metals were determined in seven bacterial species originally isolated from Lake Mariut, Alexandria, a heavily polluted lake. They were evaluated for their selectivity to accumulate a range of heavy metals including Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni and Co. Bacterial isolates identified as Pseudomonas cepacia, Enterobacter agglomerans, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and three Bacillus spp. B. licheniformis, B. alvei and B. cereus. They were gradually subjected to elevating levels of metals to evaluate their ability for metal bioaccumulation. The effect of heavy metals on bacterial growth was determined as % inhibition of the total viable count (TVC). The amount of accumulated metals (mg metal/g bacterial mass) was determined for each species every 24 hrs for 6 successive days. The selective uptake of metals depending on bacterial species as well as metal type where each species showed high affinity for at least two metals. This property could be efficiently used and manipulated in treatment processes for removing heavy metals. However, the tested bacteria showed more or less similar order of magnitude for metals uptake as Zn >Fe>Cr>Cu>Pb>Co>Ni which explained the toxicity of these metals with some exceptions.]]>Abeck, D., A.P. Johnson, H.C. Korting, W. Stolz, E. Struck-Sauer and O. Braun-Falco,1990Haemophilus ducreyi.]]>684144Amer, A.A.,19971997Beveridge, T.J.,198943147171Collins, M.L.P., L.A. Buchholz and C.C. Remsen,1991Methylomonas albus BG8.]]>5712611264Cooksey, D.A.,199028201219Cooksey, D.A.,1993715Dean-Ross, D. and A.L. Mills,19895520022009EI-Bestawy, E.,19931993Erardi, F.X., M.L. Failla and J.O. Falkinham,1987Mycobacterium scrofulaceum.]]>5319511954Fang, H.H. and H.H. Hui,19941610911096Leborans, G.F., Y.O. Herrero and A. Novillo,199839172178Greenberg, A.E., L.S. Clesceri and A.D. Eaton,199519th Edn.,Hughes, M.N. and R.K. Poole,1989Pages: 412Pages: 412Joho, M., M. Inouhe, H. Tohoyama and T. Murayama,1990Saccharomyces cerevisiae.]]>66333338Kai, T., M. Nishi and T. Takahashi,1995Thiobacillus ferrooxidans to nickel ion and bacterial oxidation of nickel sulfide.]]>17229232Klerks, P.L. and J.S. Levinton,199345173205Levinson, H.S., I. Mahler, P. Blackwelder and T. Hood,1996Staphylococcus aureus.]]>145421425Lim, D.V.,1989Macaskie, L.A. and A.C.R. Dean,1989Citrobacter sp. Is unable to accumulate cadmium in the presence of organa-lead.]]>17345350Nakajima, A. and T. Sakaguchi,1986245964Nies, D.H.,1992271728Timoney,19985523852390Paerl, H.W., L.E. Prufert-Bebout and C. Guo,1994Trichodesmium spp.]]>6010441047Podlesek, Z., B. Herzog and J. Abroie,1993Bacillus subtitlis.]]>113201204Rouch, D.R., B.T. Lee and J. Camakaris,1989Escherichia coli.]]>1989pp: 439-446pp: 439-446Sakamoto, K., M. Yagasaki, K. Kirimura and S. Usami,1989Thiobacillus thiooxidans upon cadmium and zinc ion addition and formation of cadmium ion-binding and zinc ion-binding proteins exhibiting metallothionein-like properties.]]>67266273Schreiber, D.R., F.J. Millero and A.S. Gordon,1990Vibrio alginolyticus.]]>28275284Harwood-Sears, V. and A.S. Gordon,1990Vibrio alginolyticus.]]>5613271332Stoppel, R.D. and H.G. Schlegel,19956122762285Kim, Y.H., Y.J. Yoo and H.Y. Lee,1995Undaria pinnatifida.]]>17345350