Cadmium removal by a new strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in aerobic culture

A fluorescent pseudomonad (strain CW-96-1) isolated from a deep-sea vent sample grew at 30 degrees C under aerobic conditions in an artificial seawater medium and tolerated cadmium concentrations up to 5 mM. After 140 h, strain CW-96-1 removed > 99% of the cadmium from solution. Energy dispersive microanalysis revealed that the cadmium was removed by precipitation on the cell wall; sulfide production was confirmed by growth on Kligler's agar. Based on 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing and fatty acid analysis, the microorganism is closely related to Pseudomonas aeruginosa.