Bioleaching is an environment-friendly and economical technology to remove heavy
metals from contaminated soils. In this study, a biosurfactant-producing strain with
capacity of alkaline production was isolated from cafeteria sewer sludge and its
capability for removing Zn, Pb, Mn, Cd, Cu, and As was investigated. Phylogenetic
analysis using 16S rDNA gene sequences confirmed that the strain belonged to
Burkholderia sp. and named as Z-90. The biosurfactant was glycolipid confirmed by
thin layer chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Z-90 broth
was then used for bioleaching remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils