Fig. 1.

Routes 1, 2 and 3 represent the present situation of untreated sewage, metal and sulfate containing industrial effluents, respectively while routes 4A and 4B indicate two different possible bioremediating fates of metals and H₂S and metals and other sulfate pollutants, respectively. In route 4B SRB growth is accomplished by agro-industrial and/or hydrocarbon wastes