scholarly journals Microbial Community Diversity Dynamics in Acid Mine Drainage and Acid Mine Drainage-Polluted Soils: Implication on Mining Water Irrigation Agricultural Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabelani Munyai ◽  
Henry Joseph Oduor Ogola ◽  
David Mxolisi Modise

Environmental degradation related to mining-generated acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major global concern, contaminating surface and groundwater sources, including agricultural land. In the last two decades, many developing countries are expanding agricultural productivity in mine-impacted soils to meet food demand for their rapidly growing population. Further, the practice of AMD water (treated or untreated) irrigated agriculture is on the increase, particularly in water-stressed nations around the world. For sustainable agricultural production systems, optimal microbial diversity, and functioning is critical for soil health and plant productivity. Thus, this review presents up-to-date knowledge on the microbial structure and functional dynamics of AMD habitats and AMD-impacted agricultural soils. The long-term effects of AMD water such as soil acidification, heavy metals (HM), iron and sulfate pollution, greatly reduces microbial biomass, richness, and diversity, impairing soil health plant growth and productivity, and impacts food safety negatively. Despite these drawbacks, AMD-impacted habitats are unique ecological niches for novel acidophilic, HM, and sulfate-adapted microbial phylotypes that might be beneficial to optimal plant growth and productivity and bioremediation of polluted agricultural soils. This review has also highlighted the impact active and passive treatment technologies on AMD microbial diversity, further extending the discussion on the interrelated microbial diversity, and beneficial functions such as metal bioremediation, acidity neutralization, symbiotic rhizomicrobiome assembly, and plant growth promotion, sulfates/iron reduction, and biogeochemical N and C recycling under AMD-impacted environment. The significance of sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB), iron-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB), and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) as key players in many passive and active systems dedicated to bioremediation and microbe-assisted phytoremediation is also elucidated and discussed. Finally, new perspectives on the need for future studies, integrating meta-omics and process engineering on AMD-impacted microbiomes, key to designing and optimizing of robust active and passive bioremediation of AMD-water before application to agricultural production is proposed.

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 671-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Rodrigues de Assis ◽  
Luiz Eduardo Dias ◽  
Emerson Silva Ribeiro Jr ◽  
Walter Antônio Pereira Abrahão ◽  
Jaime Wilson Vargas de Mello ◽  
...  

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is an environmental concern due to the risk of element mobilization, including toxic elements, and inclusion in the food chain. In this study, three cover layers were tested to minimize As, Fe and S mobilization from a substrate from former gold mining, containing pyrite and arsenopyrite. For this purpose, different layers (capillary break, sealant and cover layer) above the substrate and the induction of a geochemical barrier (GB) were used to provide suitable conditions for adsorption and co-precipitation of the mobilized As. Thirteen treatments were established to evaluate the leaching of As, Fe and S from a substrate in lysimeters. The pH, As, Fe, S, Na, and K concentrations and total volume of the leachates were determined. Mineralogical analyses were realized in the substrate at the end of the experimental period. Lowest amounts of As, Fe and S (average values of 5.47, 48.59 and 132.89 g/lysimeter) were leached in the treatments that received Na and K to induce GB formation. Mineralogical analyses indicated jarosite formation in the control treatment and in treatments that received Na and K salts. However, the jarosite amounts in these treatments were higher than in the control, suggesting that these salts accelerated the GB formation. High amounts of As, Fe and S (average values of 11.7, 103.94 and 201.13 g/lysimeter) were observed in the leachate from treatments without capillary break layer. The formation of geochemical barrier and the use of different layers over the sulfide substrate proved to be efficient techniques to decrease As, Fe and S mobilization and mitigate the impact of acid mine drainage.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Sekudewicz ◽  
Michał Gąsiorowski ◽  
Šárka Matoušková ◽  
Jan Rohovec ◽  
Karolina Kaucha

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-50
Author(s):  
Svetlana Bratkova

The formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious environmental problem in areas with mining and processing industries worldwide. Their generation is associated with chemical and biological processes of oxidation of sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite. Sources of AMD can be deposits of sulfide minerals and coal with a high content of pyrite sulfur, mining waste and some tailings. The impact of AMD on surface and groundwater in mining areas continues for decades after the cessation of extraction. An example of the negative impact of generated acid mine drainage on the state of surface waters is in the region of Madzharovo. Years after the cessation of mining, the waters at the discharge points "Momina Skala", "Harman Kaya" and "Pandak Dere" are characterized by low pH values and high concentrations of iron, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and manganese.


Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-Suk Kim ◽  
Hyun-Gi Min ◽  
Jeong-Gyu Kim ◽  
Sang-Ryong Lee

Deficiencies in phosphorus (P), an essential factor for plant growth and aided phytostabilization, are commonly observed in soil, especially near mining areas. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of P-based fertilizer types on arsenic (As) extractability and phytotoxicity in As-contaminated soil after stabilizer treatment. Different treatments with respect to the P-releasing characteristics were applied to soil to determine As mobility and phytotoxicity in P-based fertilizers, with bone meal as a slow-releasing P fertilizer and fused superphosphate as a fast-releasing P fertilizer. In addition, P fertilizers were used to enhance plant growth, and two types of iron (Fe)-based stabilizers (steel slang and acid mine drainage sludge) were also used to reduce As mobility in As-contaminated soil under lab-scale conditions. A water-soluble extraction was conducted to determine As and P extractability. A phytotoxicity test using bok choy (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Jusl.) was performed to assess the elongation and accumulation of As and P. Within a single treatment, the As stabilization was higher in steel slag (84%) than in acid mine drainage sludge (27%), and the P supply effect was higher in fused superphosphate (24740%) than in bone meal (160%) compared to the control. However, a large dose of fused superphosphate (2%) increased not only the water-soluble P, but also the water-soluble As, and consequently, increased As uptake by bok choy roots, leading to phytotoxicity. In combined treatments, the tendency towards change was similar to that of the single treatment, but the degree of change was decreased compared to the single treatment, thereby decreasing the risk of phytotoxicity. In particular, the toxicity observed in the fused superphosphate treatments did not appear in the bone meal treatment, but rather the growth enhancement effect appeared. These results indicate that the simultaneous application of bone meal and stabilizers might be proposed and could effectively increase plant growth via the stabilization of As and supplementation with P over the long term.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1064
Author(s):  
Sirio Consani ◽  
Stefano Ghignone ◽  
Marina Pozzolini ◽  
Marco Giovine ◽  
Luigi Vezzulli ◽  
...  

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a common environmental problem in many sulphide mines worldwide, and it is widely accepted that the microbial community plays a major role in keeping the process of acid generation active. The aim of this work is to describe, for the first time, the microbial community thriving in goethite and jarosite Fe precipitates from the AMD of the Libiola mine. The observed association is dominated by Proteobacteria (>50%), followed by Bacteroidetes (22.75%), Actinobacteria (7.13%), Acidobacteria (5.79%), Firmicutes (2.56%), and Nitrospirae (1.88%). Primary producers seem to be limited to macroalgae, with chemiolithotrophic strains being almost absent. A phylogenetic analysis of bacterial sequences highlighted the presence of heterotrophic bacteria, including genera actively involved in the AMD Fe cycle and genera (such as Cytophaga and Flavobacterium) that are able to reduce cellulose. The Fe precipitates constitute a microaerobic and complex environment in which many ecological niches are present, as proved by the wide range of bacterial species observed. This study is the first attempt to quantitatively characterize the microbial community of the studied area and constitutes a starting point to learn more about the microorganisms thriving in the AMD of the Libiola mine, as well as their potential applications.


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