ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HEAVY-METALS RESISTANT-BACTERIA FROM LAGOS LAGOON

A total of 228 bacteria with an ability to resist toxic heavy metals w ere isolated from 8 selected sites of the Lagos Lagoon. The bacteria i solated were Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Strept ococcus sp., Moraxella sp., Escherichia coli, Proteus sp., Klebsiella sp. and Salmonella sp. The heavy metals to which resistance was record ed were mercury, lead, zinc, cobalt, copper and chromium. The lagoon s ites from which the highest number of resistant bacteria were isolated were Marina and Ebute-Ero. The heavy metal to which most bacteria wer e resistant was cobalt, while the least was chromium. The significance of the result is discussed in relation to the Nigerian environment an d human health.