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dc.contributor.authorBhaskar, P.V.
dc.contributor.authorBhosle, N.B.
dc.date.accessioned2006-05-16T08:46:31Z
dc.date.available2006-05-16T08:46:31Z
dc.date.issued2006
dc.identifier.citationEnvironment International, vol. 32(2); 191-198
dc.identifier.urihttp://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/103
dc.description.abstractThe ecological implications of metal binding properties of bacterial EPS and its possible role in the bioaccumulation of pollutants in the marine food-chain was investigated using a partially purified and chemically characterized microbial EPS isolated from a species of Marinobacter. Various factors influencing metal sorption by the EPS including the influence of initial metal concentrations, incubation time, pH and sodium chloride concentrations on binding of lead (Pb++) and copper (Cu++) were evaluated. The bacterial EPS selectively bound more amount of Cu2+ per mg of EPS than Pb2+. Both copper and lead were sorbed more at near neutral pH than acidic pH. The sorption of Cu2+ increased with increasing copper concentration. The estimated maximum binding ability (MBA) of the EPS was 182 nmol copper and 13 nmol lead mg-1 EPS. However, the sorption of these metals decreased with the increase in sodium chloride concentration. Furthermore, up to 35% of 14C-labeled Marinobacter was ingested by a benthic polychaete Hediste diversicolor. On an average, 29% of the ingested EPS was absorbed into tissues and 49% of the EPS was respired. It was apparent that the animals used the EPS as a source of energy and nutrition. The labile nature of the bacterial EPS and its ability to bind heavy metals might route the bound metals through the marine food chain, thereby transferring and aiding bioaccumulation of metal pollutants in the higher trophic animals.
dc.description.sponsorshipCSIR and UGC-DAAD for fellowships
dc.format.extent1373184 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/msword
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.subjectExtracellular polymeric substances
dc.subjectEPS
dc.subjectmetal binding
dc.subjectlead
dc.subjectcopper
dc.subjectpolychaete
dc.titleBacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS): A carrier of heavy metals in the marine food-chain
dc.typeJournal Article


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