Abstract-An attempt was made to isolate microorganisms from the industrial effluents and to study their role in bioremediation of lead in selected industrial effluents. Sixty bacterial strains from the industrial effluent were isolated, purified, preliminarily identified and examined for their ability to uptake lead. Based on the minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of lead for the selected isolates, six strains were found to be most resistant isolates and amongst them one isolate showed maximum resistance to lead which was identified as Bacillus cereus. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) photographs and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) signature of Bacillus cereus revealed that lead was adsorbed to the cell surface, confirming biosorption capacity of the bacteria.

Chlorobenzenes (CB) are very commonly detected in ecosystems notably in the atmosphere, freshwater, sediments, and in urban sewage. They may contaminate ecosystems via the direct discharge of solid and liquid waste or through atmospheric volatilization. In the present study, CB degrading organisms were isolated from contaminated sites and screened for their effectiveness to degrade it. Isolates 6CB efficiently degrade CB. Isolate was identified by 16SrDNA and identified as Bacillus sp. TAS6CB. The cells showed positive chemotaxis towards CB, catechol, and salicylic acid indicates their potential for degradation of xenobiotic compounds. Degradation commence with production of chlorobenzene dioxygenase and further conversion into chlorocatechol, a central intermediate of chlorinated aromatic metabolism. Degradation rates were further enhanced by biosurfactant production as detected and confirmed by TLC analysis. Intermediate metabolites chlorocatechol and cis,cis‐muconic acid, produced during the CB degradation were confirmed by UV scanning, HPLC and GC–MS analysis. Phytotoxicity study showed 40% of phytotoxicity decreased after 48 h of incubation by isolate. Thus, isolate can be used to remediate CB contaminated sites effectively.