An Acidiphilium cryptum strain and two Acidiphilium symbioticum strains exhibited extremely high tolerance to CdSO4, growing at a concentration of 700 mmol l‐1 or more in MGY medium (g l‐1 composition: KCl, 0.1; MgSO4.7H2O, 0.25; (NH4)2SO4, 2.0; K2HPO4, 0.25; glucose, 1.0; yeast extract, 0.1) of pH 3. Fairly high concentrations of ZnSO4 (200 > 125 mmol l‐1), NiSO4 (50 > 20 mmol l‐1) and CuSO4 (25 > 15 mmol l‐1) were also tolerated by these strains. Acidiphilium multivorum grew in the presence of NiSO4 (400 > 350 mmol l‐1), ZnSO4 (50 > 40 mmol l‐1), CdSO4 (40 > 20 mmol l‐1) and CuSO4 (20 > 10 mmol l‐1) while an Acidiphilium strain GS18h tolerated ZnSO4 (100 > 60 mmol l‐1), NiSO4 (50 > 30 mmol l‐1), CuSO4 (30 > 15 mmol l‐1) and CdSO4 (20 > 10 mmol l‐1) in the same medium. Acidiphilium angustum, on the other hand, was found to be metal sensitive—growth inhibition being observed at concentrations of 10 mmol l‐1 ZnSO4, 10 mmol l‐1 CuSO4, 20 mmol l‐1 NiSO4 and 0.2 mmol l‐1 CdSO4 in MGY medium. Acidiphilium organovorum also exhibited tolerance to these metal sulphates in this medium at the levels of 70 > 60 mmol l‐1 for Zn, 20 > 10 mmol l‐1 for Cd and Ni, and 10 > 5 mmol l‐1 for Cu. This strain, interestingly enough, showed a much higher level of tolerance in MAGY medium (g l‐1 composition: KCl, 0.15; MgSO4.7H2O, 3.36; K2HPO4, 0.15; (NH4)2SO4, 0.15; Al2(SO4)3.18H2O, 2.25; CaCl2.2H2O, 0.97; MnSO4.H2O, 0.12; glucose, 1.0; yeast extract, 0.1) of pH 3 than in MGY medium. Replacement of carbon source, however, did not affect the tolerance levels to any great extent.