International Journal of Biotechnology and Biochemistry. ISSN 0973-2691 Volume 7 Number 4 (2011) pp. 451-456 © Research India Publications http://www.ripublication.com/ijbb.htm Study of Heavy Metal and Antibiotic Resistance on a Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Strain Isolated from Soils Contaminated with Coal Tar Abdolrazagh Marzban 1* , Gholamhossein Ebrahimipour 2 , Maryam Karkhane 3 , Sara Mohseni 4 , Azam Moradi 5 and Hawry Alaee 6 1,5,6 M.Sc., Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran *Corresponding Author E-mail: Marzban86@hotmail.com 2 Professor, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran 3,4 M.Sc., Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran Abstract The heavy metal resistance microorganisms have significant role in antibiotic resistance trait survival. Hence, presence of antibiotics and heavy metals resistance in the polluted environments has caused problems for community health. For study of this aim, the sample was taken from soils contaminated with coal tar located around refinery of Isfahan (Iran). Some biochemical experiments and 16S rDNA analysis were performed to identify unknown bacterium. Resistance to 10 types of antibiotics was examined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method and for 14 metals was used agar dilution test with the range of 100 to 500 ppm heavy metals. In order to indicate resistance origin, extraction and detection of plasmid were done. The results of identification experiments showed similarity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain PMA1 according to biochemical tests and 16S rDNA analysis. MICs values for heavy metals showed maximum resistance to VO 3- , Wo 4 2- , Co 2+ , Fe 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ and growth at presence of Hg 2+ and Ag + wasn’t observed. The sample was resistance to Ampicillin, Carbenicillin, Novobiocin, Tetracycline, Penicillin and Erythromycin, sensitive to streptomycin and Polymyxin B and intermediate to Rifampicin and Chloramphenicol. Presence of plasmid also was confirmed by detection on gel