Mercury and lead tolerance in hypersaline sulfate-reducing bacteria

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) HSR1, HSR4, and HSR14 isolated from the salt pans of Goa grew best at 90-100/1000 salinity on substrates like formate, acetate, lactate, butyrate, ethanol and benzoate. They were gram negative, non-sporulating, non-motile rods lacking in desulfoviridin and cytochromes. Examination of these isolates for heavy metal tolerance and response studies in terms of growth and sulfate-reducing activity (SRA) were carried out using HgCl2 and Pb(NO3)2 at final concentration of 50, 100, and 200 and 100, 200 and 500 microg ml(-1) respectively. With Hg, HSR1 showed approximately 80% of the control's growth at 100 and 200 microg ml(-1) but SRA reached only 60% of the control values at the end of 14 days. HSR14 could reach >100% of the control's growth at 200 microg ml(-1) but the SRA reached only up to 60% of the control without metal at 100 microg ml(-1). Though the concentration of Pb was double that of Hg, HSR4 could grow and respire better than the control, the growth being stimulated by 160% and respiration by 170% in the presence of 500 microg ml(-1) of Pb(NO3)2. It is probable that some hypersaline SRB are more tolerant to heavy metals than the mesohaline counterparts and could be more effectively used for precipitating these metals in bioremediatory measures. Further examination of their responses to varied concentration of metals under different salinities would indicate their range of applicability.     

Physical Habitat Assessment of River Denwa Using GIS Techniques

Physical habitat of any aquatic ecosystem is an integral part upon which the biological structures of resident communities are built. Degradation of the physical habitat has serious consequences on aquatic communities and is among the leading causes of stream impairment worldwide. Therefore, a sound habitat assessment approach is necessary to assess the condition of running water and to determine if habitat degradation is responsible for any degradation in biological condition. The present study was focused on Physical Habitat Assessment of Denwa River, a sub tributary of river Narmada in central India, for generating a Habitat Suitability map. The Denwa River originates from Satpura ranges in central India and flows through entire Pachmarhi plateau supporting a diversity of habitats for aquatic flora and fauna. A survey was carried out to assess the physical characteristic of Denwa river (84 kms) from its origin to the confluence point of Tawa Denwa river. Six reaches have been identified in study area on the basis of their physiographic conditions. For Habitat Assessment measurement, Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Stream and Wadeable rivers by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 841-B-99-002) have been used. Seven parameters from this protocol have been chosen for physical characterization. GIS techniques have been used to develop a Habitat Suitability Map of the study area based on scores to illustrate its suitability to support aquatic life. The present paper discusses in detail the suitability of the different reaches of the River Denwa for supporting the aquatic biodiversity.