<p>Wastewater flowing in streams and <i>nallahs</i> across India carries several trace metals, including metalloid arsenic (As), which are considered serious environmental contaminants due to their toxicity, and recalcitrant nature. In this study, we determined the phytoremediation of As by <i>Eichhornia crassipes</i> (Mart.) Solms either alone or in association with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. <i>Pseudomonas</i> and <i>Azotobacter</i> inoculation to <i>E. crassipes</i> resulted in enhanced As removal compared to uninoculated control. Co-inoculation with a consortium of <i>Pseudomonas, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Actinomyces</i>, and <i>Bacillus</i> resulted in a higher As (<i>p</i> < 0.05) phytoaccumulation efficiency. <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strain jogii was found particularly effective in augmenting As removal by <i>E. crassipes</i>. Our findings indicate that the synergistic association of <i>E. crassipes</i> and various rhizobacteria is an effective strategy to enhance removal of As and thus may be utilized as an efficient biological alternative for the removal of this metalloid from wastewaters.</p
