%0 Journal Article %A I. V. N. Rathnayake and Mallavarapu Megharaj and Nanthi Bolan and Ravi Naidu %D 2009 %J International Journal of Bioengineering and Life Sciences %B World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology %I Open Science Index 29, 2009 %T Tolerance of Heavy Metals by Gram Positive Soil Bacteria %U https://publications.waset.org/pdf/8678 %V 29 %X With the intention of screening for heavy metal tolerance, a number of bacteria were isolated and characterized from a pristine soil. Two Gram positive isolates were identified as Paenibacillus sp. and Bacillus thuringeinsis. Tolerance of Cd2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ by these bacteria was studied and found that both bacteria were highly sensitive to Cu2+ compared to other two metals. Both bacteria showed the same pattern of metal tolerance in the order Zn+ > Cd2+ > Cu2+. When the metal tolerance in both bacteria was compared, Paenibacillus sp. showed the highest sensitivity to Cu2+ where as B. thuringiensis showed highest sensitivity to Cd2+ and Zn2+ .These findings revealed the potential of Paenibacillus sp. in developing a biosensor to detect Cu2+ in environmental samples. %P 270 - 274