A total of 48 Pseudomonas spp., isolated from the Çukurova University Balcalı Hospital sewage in Adana, were characterized on the basis of morphological, cultural and biochemical characteristics. To improve our understanding of the ecology of tellurite resistance in bacteria, the minimum inhibition concentrations (MIC) of potassium tellurite (K2 TeO3 ) for growth were used to determine metal tolerance of the isolated strains. Most of the strains tolerated to 55 µgr/ml potassium tellurite. Ostrain Ps 37 tolerated relatively high concentrations of tellurite (80 µgr/ml). 27% of the strains possessed plasmid mediated tellurite resistance (Telr ).