Diversity of the Sediment Microbial Community in the Aha Watershed (Southwest China) in Response to Acid Mine Drainage Pollution Gradients

ABSTRACTLocated in southwest China, the Aha watershed is continually contaminated by acid mine drainage (AMD) produced from upstream abandoned coal mines. The watershed is fed by creeks with elevated concentrations of aqueous Fe (total Fe > 1 g/liter) and SO42−(>6 g/liter). AMD contamination gradually decreases throughout downstream rivers and reservoirs, creating an AMD pollution gradient which has led to a suite of biogeochemical processes along the watershed. In this study, sediment samples were collected along the AMD pollution sites for geochemical and microbial community analyses. High-throughput sequencing found various bacteria associated with microbial Fe and S cycling within the watershed and AMD-impacted creek. A large proportion of Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria were detected in this watershed. The dominant Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria were identified as microorganisms belonging to the generaMetallibacterium,Aciditerrimonas,Halomonas,Shewanella,Ferrovum,Alicyclobacillus, andSyntrophobacter. Among them,Halomonas,Aciditerrimonas,Metallibacterium, andShewanellahave previously only rarely been detected in AMD-contaminated environments. In addition, the microbial community structures changed along the watershed with different magnitudes of AMD pollution. Moreover, the canonical correspondence analysis suggested that temperature, pH, total Fe, sulfate, and redox potentials (Eh) were significant factors that structured the microbial community compositions along the Aha watershed.

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Effects of Long-Term Discharge of Acid Mine Drainage from Abandoned Coal Mines on Soil Microorganisms: Microbial Community Structure, Interaction Patterns and Metabolic Functions

10.21203/rs.3.rs-385887/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Di Chen ◽

Qiyan Feng ◽

Haoqian Liang

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Coal Mines ◽

Interaction Patterns ◽

Nitrogen Fixing ◽

Acid Mine ◽

Metabolic Functions ◽

Abandoned Coal Mines

Abstract More than twenty abandoned coal mines in the Yudong River basin of Guizhou Province have discharged acid mine drainage (AMD) for a long time. The revelation of microbial community composition, interaction patterns and metabolic functions can contributes to the ecological remediation of AMD pollution. In this study, reference and contaminated soils were collected along the AMD flow path for high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that the long-term AMD pollution promoted the evolution of γ-Proteobacteria, and the acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria Ferrovum (relative abundance of 15.50%) and iron-reducing bacteria Metallibacterium (9.87%) belonging to this class became the dominant genera. Co-occurrence analysis revealed that the proportion of positive correlations among bacteria increased from 51.02% (reference soil) to 75.16% (contaminated soil), suggesting that acidic pollution promotes the formation of mutualistic interaction networks of microorganisms. Metabolic function prediction (Tax4Fun) revealed that AMD contamination enhanced the microbial functions such as translation, repair, and biosynthesis of peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide etc., which may be an adaptive mechanism for microbial survival in extremely acidic environment. In addition, the acidic pollution promoted the high expression of nitrogen fixing genes in soil, and the discovery of autotrophic nitrogen fixing bacteria such as Ferrovum provided the possibility of bioremediation of AMD pollution.

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Assessment of Characteristics of Acid Mine Drainage Treated with Fly Ash

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11093910 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 3910

Author(s):

Saba Shirin ◽

Aarif Jamal ◽

Christina Emmanouil ◽

Akhilesh Kumar Yadav

Keyword(s):

Fly Ash ◽

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Power Plants ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Thermal Power ◽

Mineralogical Characterization ◽

Acid Mine ◽

Before And After ◽

Abandoned Coal Mines

Acid mine drainage (AMD) occurs naturally in abandoned coal mines, and it contains hazardous toxic elements in varying concentrations. In the present research, AMD samples collected from an abandoned mine were treated with fly ash samples from four thermal power plants in Singrauli Coalfield in the proximate area, at optimized concentrations. The AMD samples were analyzed for physicochemical parameters and metal content before and after fly ash treatment. Morphological, geochemical and mineralogical characterization of the fly ash was performed using SEM, XRF and XRD. This laboratory-scale investigation indicated that fly ash had appreciable neutralization potential, increasing AMD pH and decreasing elemental and sulfate concentrations. Therefore, fly ash may be effectively used for AMD neutralization, and its suitability for the management of coalfield AMD pits should be assessed further.

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Performance of microbial community dominated by Bacillus spp. in acid mine drainage remediation systems: A focus on the high removal efficiency of SO42-, Al3+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Pb2+, and Sr2+

Heliyon ◽

10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07241 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e07241

Author(s):

Enoch A. Akinpelu ◽

Seteno K.O. Ntwampe ◽

Elvis Fosso-Kankeu ◽

Felix Nchu ◽

Justine O. Angadam

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Removal Efficiency ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Acid Mine ◽

Bacillus Spp

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Vertical environmental gradient drives prokaryotic microbial community assembly and species coexistence in a stratified acid mine drainage lake

Water Research ◽

10.1016/j.watres.2021.117739 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 117739

Author(s):

Zhixiang She ◽

Xin Pan ◽

Jin Wang ◽

Rui Shao ◽

Guangcheng Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Community Assembly ◽

Environmental Gradient ◽

Species Coexistence ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Acid Mine ◽

Microbial Community Assembly

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Effect of hydraulic retention time on microbial community in biochemical passive reactors during treatment of acid mine drainage

Bioresource Technology ◽

10.1016/j.biortech.2017.09.144 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 247 ◽

pp. 624-632 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Yaneth Vasquez ◽

Maria C. Escobar ◽

Johan S. Saenz ◽

Maria F. Quiceno-Vallejo ◽

Carmen M. Neculita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Retention Time ◽

Hydraulic Retention Time ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Acid Mine

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The recruitment of bacterial communities by the plant root system changed by acid mine drainage pollution in soils

FEMS Microbiology Letters ◽

10.1093/femsle/fnaa117 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 367 (15) ◽

Author(s):

Yang Li ◽

Liang Yuan ◽

Sheng Xue ◽

Bingjun Liu ◽

Gang Jin

Keyword(s):

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Bacterial Communities ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Plant Root ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Cellular Processes ◽

Acid Mine ◽

Functional Bacteria ◽

Plant Root System

ABSTRACT This study aims to better understand the relationship between the response to acid mine drainage (AMD) stress of tolerant plants and changes in root-related bacterial communities. In this study, reed stems were planted in AMD-polluted and unpolluted soils, and high-throughput sequencing was conducted to analyze the bacterial community composition in the soil, rhizosphere, rhizoplane and endosphere. The results showed that the effect of AMD pollution on root-associated bacterial communities was greater than that of rhizo-compartments. Proteobacteria were dominant across the rhizo-compartments between treatments. The microbiomes of unpolluted treatments were enriched by Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria and depleted in Gammaproteobacteria ranging from the rhizoplane into the endosphere. However, the opposite trend was observed in the AMD pollution treatment, namely, Gammaproteobacteria were enriched, and Alphaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria were mostly depleted. In addition, endophytic microbiomes were dominated by Comamonadaceae and Rhodocyclaceae in the unpolluted treatment and by Enterobacteriaceae in the AMD-polluted soils. PICRUSt showed that functional categories associated with membrane transport, metabolism and cellular processes and signaling processes were overrepresented in the endosphere of the AMD-polluted treatment. In conclusion, our study reveals significant variation in bacterial communities colonizing rhizo-compartments in two soils, indicating that plants can recruit functional bacteria to the roots in response to AMD pollution.

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The distribution of rare earth elements and sources in Maoshitou reservoir affected by acid mine drainage, Southwest China

Journal of Geochemical Exploration ◽

10.1016/j.gexplo.2019.03.019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 202 ◽

pp. 92-99 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xingxing Cao ◽

Shaoqi Zhou ◽

Feng Xie ◽

Rong Rong ◽

Pan Wu

Keyword(s):

Rare Earth ◽

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Rare Earth Elements ◽

Southwest China ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Acid Mine

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Geochemistry and stable isotope investigation of acid mine drainage associated with abandoned coal mines in central Montana, USA

Chemical Geology ◽

10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.05.026 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 269 (1-2) ◽

pp. 100-112 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Christopher H. Gammons ◽

Terence E. Duaime ◽

Stephen R. Parker ◽

Simon R. Poulson ◽

Patrick Kennelly

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Coal Mines ◽

Acid Mine ◽

Abandoned Coal Mines ◽

Central Montana

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

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.00015-17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 83 (7) ◽

Cited By ~ 11

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.

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Assessing arsenic bioremediation potential of epilithic biofilms affected by acid-mine drainage

10.5194/biofilms9-81 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah Zecchin ◽

Nicoletta Guerrieri ◽

Evelien Jongepier ◽

Leonardo Scaglioni ◽

Gigliola Borgonovo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Acid Mine Drainage ◽

Mine Drainage ◽

Heterotrophic Bacteria ◽

16S Rrna Genes ◽

Rrna Genes ◽

Sampling Point ◽

Epilithic Biofilm ◽

Acid Mine ◽

Epilithic Biofilms

Arsenic is a toxic but naturally abundant metalloid that globally leads to contamination in groundwater and soil, exposing millions of people to cancer and other arsenic-related diseases. In several areas in Northern Italy arsenic in soil and water exceeds law limits (20 mg kg-1 and 10 mg L-1, respectively), due to both the mineralogy of bedrock and former mining activities. The Rio Rosso stream, located in the Anzasca Valley (Piedmont) is heavily affected by an acid mine drainage originated from an abandoned gold mine. Arsenic, together with other heavy metals, is transferred by the stream to the surrounding area. The stream is characterized by the presence of an extensive reddish epilithic biofilm at the opening of the mine and on the whole contaminated waterbed. The aim of this study was to characterize the mechanisms allowing the biotic fraction of this biofilm to cope with extreme arsenic concentrations. The composition and functionality of the microbial communities constituting the epilithic biofilms sampled in the close proximity and downstream the mine were unraveled by 16S rRNA genes and shotgun Illumina sequencing in relation to the extreme physico-chemical parameters. In parallel, autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial populations were characterized in vivo by enrichment cultivation and isolated strains were tested for their ability to perform arsenic redox transformation. Preliminary analyses indicated that the biofilm accumulated arsenic in the order of 6 &#183; 103 mg kg-1, in contrast to 0.14 mg L-1, measured in the surrounding water. The main chemical parameter affecting the composition of the microbial community was the pH, being 2 next to the mine and 6.7 in the downstream sampling point. In both sampling sites iron- and sulfur-cycling microorganisms were retrieved by both cultivation and molecular methods. However, the diversity of the microbial community living next to the mine was significantly lower with respect to the community developed downstream. In the latter, autotrophic Cyanobacteria belonging to the species Tychonema were the dominant taxa. A complete arsenic cycle was shown to occur, with heterotrophic bacteria mainly responsible for arsenate reduction and autotrophic bacteria performing arsenite &#160;oxidation. These observations indicate that the epilithic biofilm living in the Rio Rosso stream represents a peculiar ecosystem where microorganisms cope with metalloid toxicity likely using diverse mechanisms. Such microbial metabolic properties might be exploited in bioremediation strategies applied in arsenic-contaminated environments.

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