Impact of heavy metals on water quality and indigenous Bacillus spp. prevalent in rat-hole coal mines

Abstract

The present study reports pollution evaluation indices employed to assess the intensity of metal pollution in water systems affected by acid mine drainage from rat-hole coal mines prevalent in North-east India. The concentration of seven eco-toxic metals was evaluated from coal mine waters which showed concentration order of Iron (Fe)  > Manganese (Mn)  > Zinc (Zn)  > Chromium (Cr)  > Lead (Pb)  > Copper (Cu)  > Cadmium (Cd). The water samples were acidic with mean pH 2.67 and burdened with dissolved solids (924.8 mg/L). The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) displayed high and medium range of pollution level in majority of the water samples. Statistical correlation suggested strong positive correlation between metals such as Cr with Mn (r = 0.780), Mn with Fe (r = 0.576), Cr with Fe (r = 0.680), Pb with Mn (r = 0.579) and Cr with Pb (r = 0.606), indicating Mn, Pb, Fe and Cr to be major metal contaminants; an unequivocal affirmation of degradation in water quality. The sampled waters had lower heavy metal concentration during monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The commonly occurring bacterial species Bacillus pseudomycoides and Bacillus siamensis were chosen to understand their behavioral responses toward metal contamination. Findings demonstrated that Bacillus spp. from control environment had low tolerance to metals stress as evident from their MTC, MIC and growth curve studies. The survival of the native isolates across varying pH, salinity and temperature in the coal mine areas suggest these isolates as promising candidates for reclamation of rat-hole coal mining sites.