RESUMO
Due to the progressive development of industrial and technological activities, heavy metal contamination is increasing each year and it poses a serious health and environmental risk. Microorganisms are capable of removing heavy metals from a contaminated environment. In this work, 51 microbial strains were isolated from heavy metal contaminated water and soil. The JAW1 strain, identified as Pseudomonas azotoformans, was selected and applied in bioremediation of the specific mixture of metals (Cd, Cu, and Pb) in an aqueous medium. The Box-Behnken design was used to optimize the biosorption process, with three factors: pH, initial metal concentration, concentration of the biosorbent. For the strain P. azotoformans JAW1, the optimal conditions were pH = 6.0, 25mg/L of each metal and 2g/L, following removal levels were achieved: Cd 44,67%; Cu 63,32%; Pb 78,23%. The possible interactions of cell-metal ions were evaluated using FT-IR analysis. The study indicated the presence of groups, which may be responsible for bonding of metal ions. The studies conducted on bioremediation mechanisms indicated that metal accumulation could occur on the cell surface (biosorption) where the amount of adsorbed metals reached: Cd 98,57%, Cu 69,76%, Pb 88,58%. P. azotoformans JAW1 exhibited a potential for application in the bioremediation of mining wastewater with complex metal contaminations.