Two chromium-resistant bacterial strains CrT-1 and CrT-13,which can tolerate K2 CrO4 up to 40 mg·mL-1 on nutrient agar,25 mg·mL-1 K2 CrO4 in nutrient broth,and up to 10 mg·mL-1 in acetate-minimal media,were used in this study.On the basis of 16S rRNA,strain CrT-1 was identified as Ochrobactrum intermedium and CrT-13 as Brevibacterium sp..Uptake of chromate was greater in living cells than in heat-killed cells.Ochrobactrum intermedium CrT-1 reduced 73％ and 41％ of Cr(Ⅵ)while Brevibacterium CrT-13 reduced 62％ and 48％ Cr(Ⅵ) at an initial chromate concentration of 750,and 1500 μg·mL-1,after 96 hours with an inoculum size of 9.6×107 cells·mL-1.Different heavy metals at low concentrations did not affect the reduction potential of rnthe strains significantly.Ochrobactrum intermedium CrT-1 reduced 84％ and 65％ while Brevibacterium CrT-13 reduced 60％ and 44％ of Cr(Ⅵ)at an initial Cr(Ⅵ)concentration of 250 and 500 μg·mL-1,espectively,in an industrial effluent sample.