Arsenic Remediation in Bangladeshi Rice Varieties with Enhance Plant Growth by Unique Arsenic-Resistant Bacterial Isolates

Arsenic (As) pollution is one of the major threats to public health in Bangladesh, where daily intake of As per person exceeds the World Health Organization recommended level. Plants can assimilate significant quantities of As on a daily basis. Consumption of rice contaminated with As from soil and irrigation water can elevate the daily As intake in humans. In this study, we aimed to identify indigenous As-tolerant bacteria with the ability to use different carbon and nitrogen sources to enhance plant growth through siderophore and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) formation, and with the ability to absorb, store, transform, and remediate As. Three As-tolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria were isolated: Bacillus sp. (GIS1) (MG203916), Acinetobacter sp. (GIS3) (MG203917), and Acinetobacter sp. (GIS5) (MG203918). They were confirmed by 16s rDNA sequencing and scanning electron microscopy. The bacteria showed a positive response to plant growth and As absorbing capacity. Especially, strain GIS1 (MG203916) and GIS 3(MG203917) showed a great potential for the bioremediation of As pollution, which might have potential agricultural and microbiological implications.