scholarly journals Efficient Low-pH Iron Removal by a Microbial Iron Oxide Mound Ecosystem at Scalp Level Run

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christen L. Grettenberger ◽  
Alexandra R. Pearce ◽  
Kyle J. Bibby ◽  
Daniel S. Jones ◽  
William D. Burgos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Iron Oxidation ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oxidation Rates ◽  
Acid Mine

ABSTRACT Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major environmental problem affecting tens of thousands of kilometers of waterways worldwide. Passive bioremediation of AMD relies on microbial communities to oxidize and remove iron from the system; however, iron oxidation rates in AMD environments are highly variable among sites. At Scalp Level Run (Cambria County, PA), first-order iron oxidation rates are 10 times greater than at other coal-associated iron mounds in the Appalachians. We examined the bacterial community at Scalp Level Run to determine whether a unique community is responsible for the rapid iron oxidation rate. Despite strong geochemical gradients, including a >10-fold change in the concentration of ferrous iron from 57.3 mg/liter at the emergence to 2.5 mg/liter at the base of the coal tailings pile, the bacterial community composition was nearly constant with distance from the spring outflow. Scalp Level Run contains many of the same taxa present in other AMD sites, but the community is dominated by two strains of Ferrovum myxofaciens, a species that is associated with high rates of Fe(II) oxidation in laboratory studies. IMPORTANCE Acid mine drainage pollutes more than 19,300 km of rivers and streams and 72,000 ha of lakes worldwide. Remediation is frequently ineffective and costly, upwards of $100 billion globally and nearly $5 billion in Pennsylvania alone. Microbial Fe(II) oxidation is more efficient than abiotic Fe(II) oxidation at low pH (P. C. Singer and W. Stumm, Science 167:1121–1123, 1970, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.167.3921.1121 ). Therefore, AMD bioremediation could harness microbial Fe(II) oxidation to fuel more-cost-effective treatments. Advances will require a deeper understanding of the ecology of Fe(II)-oxidizing microbial communities and the factors that control their distribution and rates of Fe(II) oxidation. We investigated bacterial communities that inhabit an AMD site with rapid Fe(II) oxidation and found that they were dominated by two operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of Ferrovum myxofaciens, a taxon associated with high laboratory rates of iron oxidation. This research represents a step forward in identifying taxa that can be used to enhance cost-effective AMD bioremediation.

scholarly journals Mixotrophic Iron-Oxidizing Thiomonas Isolates from an Acid Mine Drainage-Affected Creek

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise M. Akob ◽  
Michelle Hallenbeck ◽  
Felix Beulig ◽  
Maria Fabisch ◽  
Kirsten Küsel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Iron Oxidation ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Mining District ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Metal Precipitation ◽  
Genetic Potential ◽  
Fe Oxidation

ABSTRACT Natural attenuation of heavy metals occurs via coupled microbial iron cycling and metal precipitation in creeks impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD). Here, we describe the isolation, characterization, and genomic sequencing of two iron-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) species: Thiomonas ferrovorans FB-6 and Thiomonas metallidurans FB-Cd, isolated from slightly acidic (pH 6.3), Fe-rich, AMD-impacted creek sediments. These strains precipitated amorphous iron oxides, lepidocrocite, goethite, and magnetite or maghemite and grew at a pH optimum of 5.5. While Thiomonas spp. are known as mixotrophic sulfur oxidizers and As oxidizers, the FB strains oxidized Fe, which suggests they can efficiently remove Fe and other metals via coprecipitation. Previous evidence for Thiomonas sp. Fe oxidation is largely ambiguous, possibly because of difficulty demonstrating Fe oxidation in heterotrophic/mixotrophic organisms. Therefore, we also conducted a genomic analysis to identify genetic mechanisms of Fe oxidation, other metal transformations, and additional adaptations, comparing the two FB strain genomes with 12 other Thiomonas genomes. The FB strains fall within a relatively novel group of Thiomonas strains that includes another strain (b6) with solid evidence of Fe oxidation. Most Thiomonas isolates, including the FB strains, have the putative iron oxidation gene cyc2, but only the two FB strains possess the putative Fe oxidase genes mtoAB. The two FB strain genomes contain the highest numbers of strain-specific gene clusters, greatly increasing the known Thiomonas genetic potential. Our results revealed that the FB strains are two distinct novel species of Thiomonas with the genetic potential for bioremediation of AMD via iron oxidation. IMPORTANCE As AMD moves through the environment, it impacts aquatic ecosystems, but at the same time, these ecosystems can naturally attenuate contaminated waters via acid neutralization and catalyzing metal precipitation. This is the case in the former Ronneburg uranium-mining district, where AMD impacts creek sediments. We isolated and characterized two iron-oxidizing Thiomonas species that are mildly acidophilic to neutrophilic and that have two genetic pathways for iron oxidation. These Thiomonas species are well positioned to naturally attenuate AMD as it discharges across the landscape.

scholarly journals Application of a DepositionalFaciesModel to an Acid Mine Drainage Site

2010 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 545-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana F. Brown ◽  
Daniel S. Jones ◽  
Daniel B. Mills ◽  
Jennifer L. Macalady ◽  
William D. Burgos
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Geochemical Conditions ◽  
Oxidation Rates ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Red Eyes

ABSTRACTLower Red Eyes is an acid mine drainage site in Pennsylvania where low-pH Fe(II) oxidation has created a large, terraced iron mound downstream of an anoxic, acidic, metal-rich spring. Aqueous chemistry, mineral precipitates, microbial communities, and laboratory-based Fe(II) oxidation rates for this site were analyzed in the context of a depositionalfaciesmodel. Depositionalfacieswere defined as pools, terraces, or microterracettes based on cm-scale sediment morphology, irrespective of the distance downstream from the spring. The sediments were composed entirely of Fe precipitates and cemented organic matter. The Fe precipitates were identified as schwertmannite at all locations, regardless offacies. Microbial composition was studied with fluorescencein situhybridization (FISH) and transitioned from a microaerophilic,Euglena-dominated community at the spring, to aBetaproteobacteria(primarilyFerrovumspp.)-dominated community at the upstream end of the iron mound, to aGammaproteobacteria(primarilyAcidithiobacillus)-dominated community at the downstream end of the iron mound. Microbial community structure was more strongly correlated with pH and geochemical conditions than depositionalfacies. Intact pieces of terrace and pool sediments from upstream and downstream locations were used in flowthrough laboratory reactors to measure the rate and extent of low-pH Fe(II) oxidation. No change in Fe(II) concentration was observed with60Co-irradiated sediments or with no-sediment controls, indicating that abiotic Fe(II) oxidation was negligible. Upstream sediments attained lower effluent Fe(II) concentrations compared to downstream sediments, regardless of depositionalfacies.

Walnut Shell Powder Can Limit Acid Mine Drainage Formation by Shaping the Bacterial Community Structure

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (10) ◽  
pp. 1199-1206
Author(s):  
Yuhui Li ◽  
Mei Yue ◽  
Jingsong Ye ◽  
Tao Xu ◽  
Yehao Liu
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Bacterial Community Structure ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Walnut Shell ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Shell Powder

scholarly journals Comparison of Acid Mine Drainage Microbial Communities in Physically and Geochemically Distinct Ecosystems

2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (11) ◽  
pp. 4962-4971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip L. Bond ◽  
Greg K. Druschel ◽  
Jillian F. Banfield
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Acid Leaching ◽  
Massive Sulfide ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Oligonucleotide Probes ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Ore Body ◽  
A Site

ABSTRACT This study presents population analyses of microbial communities inhabiting a site of extreme acid mine drainage (AMD) production. The site is the inactive underground Richmond mine at Iron Mountain, Calif., where the weathering of a massive sulfide ore body (mostly pyrite) produces solutions with pHs of ∼0.5 to ∼1.0. Here we used a suite of oligonucleotide probes, designed from molecular data recently acquired from the site, to analyze a number of microbial environments by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Microbial-community analyses were correlated with geochemical and mineralogical data from those environments. The environments investigated were within the ore body and thus at the site of pyrite dissolution, as opposed to environments that occur downstream of the dissolution. Few organism types, as defined by the specificities of the oligonucleotide probes, dominated the microbial communities. The majority of the dominant organisms detected were newly discovered or organisms only recently associated with acid-leaching environments. “Ferroplasma” spp. were detected in many of the communities and were particularly dominant in environments of lowest pH and highest ionic strength.Leptospirillum spp. were also detected in many slime and pyrite-dominated environments. In samples of an unusual subaerial slime, a new uncultured Leptospirillum sp. dominated.Sulfobacillus spp. were detected as a prominent inhabitant in warmer (∼43°C) environments. The information gathered here is critical for determining organisms important to AMD production at Iron Mountain and for directing future studies of this process. The findings presented here also have relevance to the microbiology of industrial bioleaching and to the understanding of geochemical iron and sulfur cycles.

scholarly journals Microbial stratification in low pH oxic and suboxic macroscopic growths along an acid mine drainage

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 1259-1274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia Méndez-García ◽  
Victoria Mesa ◽  
Richard R Sprenger ◽  
Michael Richter ◽  
María Suárez Diez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Acid Mine

scholarly journals Metagenome assembled genomes of novel taxa from an acid mine drainage environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christen L. Grettenberger ◽  
Trinity L. Hamilton
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycling ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Metabolic Potential ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Acid Mine

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a global problem in which iron sulfide minerals oxidize and generate acidic, metal-rich water. Bioremediation relies on understanding how microbial communities inhabiting an AMD site contribute to biogeochemical cycling. A number of studies have reported community composition in AMD sites from 16S rRNA gene amplicons but it remains difficult to link taxa to function, especially in the absence of closely related cultured species or those with published genomes. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of genomes and cultured taxa from AMD environments. Here, we report 29 novel metagenome assembled genomes from Cabin Branch, an AMD site in the Daniel Boone National Forest, KY, USA. The genomes span 11 bacterial phyla and one Archaea and include taxa that contribute to carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron cycling. These data reveal overlooked taxa that contribute to carbon fixation in AMD sites as well as uncharacterized Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria. These data provide additional context for 16S rRNA gene studies, add to our understanding of the taxa involved in biogeochemical cycling in AMD environments, and can inform bioremediation strategies. IMPORTANCE Bioremediating acid mine drainage requires understanding how microbial communities influence geochemical cycling of iron and sulfur and biologically important elements like carbon and nitrogen. Research in this area has provided an abundance of 16S rRNA gene amplicon data. However, linking these data to metabolisms is difficult because many AMD taxa are uncultured or lack published genomes. Here, we present metagenome assembled genomes from 29 novel AMD taxa and detail their metabolic potential. These data provide information on AMD taxa that could be important for bioremediation strategies including taxa that are involved in cycling iron, sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen.

Comparative Analyses of the Microbial Communities Inhabiting Coal Mining Waste Dump and an Adjacent Acid Mine Drainage Creek

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weimin Sun ◽  
Enzong Xiao ◽  
Valdis Krumins ◽  
Yiran Dong ◽  
Baoqin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Mining Waste ◽  
Waste Dump ◽  
Comparative Analyses ◽  
Acid Mine

scholarly journals Experimental study on the treatment of acid mine drainage by modified corncob fixed SRB sludge particles

RSC Advances ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (33) ◽  
pp. 19016-19030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan-Rong Dong ◽  
Jun-Zhen Di ◽  
Ming-Xin Wang ◽  
Ya-Dong Ren
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Sulfate Reducing Bacteria ◽  
Sulfate Reducing ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Effective System ◽  
Reducing Bacteria

A cost-effective system for acid mine drainage removal was developed with the key role of alkaline H2O2 modified corncob and sulfate reducing bacteria.

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