Investigations were carried out to isolate microbial strains from soil, mud and water samples from metallurgically polluted environment for bioremediation of toxic heavy metals. As a result of primary and secondary screening various 72 acidothermophilic autotrophic microbes were isolated and adapted for metal tolerance and biosorption potentiality. The multi-metal tolerance was developed with higher gradient of concentrations of Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Hg, Li, Mo, Pb, Sn and Zn. The isolates were checked for their biosolubilization ability with copper containing metal sulfide ores. In case of chalcopyrite 85.82% and in covellite as high as 97.5% copper solubilization occurred in presence of 10(-3) M multi-heavy metals on fifth day at 55 degrees C and pH 2.5. Chemical analyses were carried out by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) for metal absorption. The selected highly potential isolate (ATh-14) showed maximum adsorption of Ag 73%, followed by Pb 35%, Zn 34%, As 19%, Ni 15% and Cr 9% in chalcopyrite. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.