Toxicity of Cadmium Particle Dust in Bacterial Cells

When Thiobacillus intermedius 13-1, Escherichia coli JM109, and Agrobacterium radiobacter IFO12665b1 were cultured in LB liquid medium containing 0.03 g or 0.1 g of cadmium particle dust, growth was strongly inhibited. Expose of cells to cadmium particle resulted in an increase in pH and concentration of ammonium ions. No cadmium particle attachment to the outer wall of T. intermedius or cell wall disruption was observed by transmission electron microscopy.