Physicochemical and molecular characterization of heavy metal–tolerant bacteria isolated from soil of mining sites in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Mining for precious metals is detrimental to the composition of soil structure and microbial diversity distribution and is a health risk to human communities around the affected communities. This study was aimed at determining the physical and chemical characteristics and diversity of bacteria in the soil of local mining sites for biosorption of heavy metals. RESULTS: Results of physical and chemical characteristics showed mean pH values and percentage organic carbon to range from 7.1 to 8.2 and 0.18 to 1.12% respectively with statistical significance between sampling sites (P ≤ 0.05). Similarly, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity, moisture, total nitrogen, and carbon/nitrogen ratio (C:N) in the soil ranged between 1.52 to 3.57 cmol/kg, 0.15 to 0.32 ds/m, 0.14 to 0.82%, 0.10 to 0.28%, and 1.7 to 4.8 respectively. The highest heavy metal concentration of 59.01 ppm was recorded in soils obtained from site 3. The enumeration of viable aerobic bacteria recorded the highest mean count of 4.5 × 10(6) cfu/g observed at site 2 with statistical significance (P ≤ 0.05) between the sampled soils. Alcaligenes faecalis strain UBI, Aeromonas sp. strain UBI, Aeromonas sobria, and Leptothrix ginsengisoli that make up 11.2% of total identified bacteria were able to grow in higher amended concentrations of heavy metals. The evolutionary relationship showed the four heavy metal–tolerant bacteria identified belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria of class Betaproteobacteria in the order Burkholderiales. Heavy metal biosorption by the bacteria showed Alcaligenes faecalis strain UBI having the highest uptake capacity of 73.5% for Cu. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, Alcaligenes faecalis strain UBI (MT107249) and Aeromonas sp. strain UBI (MT126242) identified in this study showed promising capability to withstand heavy metals and are good candidates in genetic modification for bioremediation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43141-021-00251-x.