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Verbuyst BR, Pakostova E, Paktunc D, Bain JG, Finfrock YZ, Saurette EM, Ptacek CJ, Blowes DW. Microbiological and geochemical characterization of As-bearing tailings and underlying sediments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 466:133554. [PMID: 38246057 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Over the past 100 years, extensive oxidation of As-bearing sulfide-rich tailings from the abandoned Long Lake Gold Mine (Canada) has resulted in the formation of acid mine drainage (pH 2.0-3.9) containing high concentrations of dissolved As (∼400 mg L-1), SO42-, Fe and other metals. Dissolved As is predominantly present as As(III), with increased As(V) near the tailings surface. Pore-gas O2 is depleted to < 1 vol% in the upper 30-80 cm of the tailings profile. The primary sulfides, pyrite and arsenopyrite, are highly oxidized in the upper portions of the tailings. Elevated proportions of sulfide-oxidizing prokaryotes are present in this zone (mean 32.3% of total reads). The tailings are underlain by sediments rich in organic C. Enrichment in δ34S-SO4 in pore-water samples in the organic C-rich zone is consistent with dissimilatory sulfate reduction. Synchrotron-based spectroscopy indicates an abundance of ferric arsenate phases near the impoundment surface and the presence of secondary arsenic sulfides in the organic-C beneath the tailings. The persistence of elevated As concentrations beneath the tailings indicates precipitation of secondary As sulfides is not sufficient to completely remove dissolved As. The oxidation of sulfides and release of As is expected to continue for decades. The findings will inform future remediation efforts and provide a foundation for the long-term monitoring of the effectiveness of the remediation program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent R Verbuyst
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Eva Pakostova
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Centre for Manufacturing and Materials, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK.
| | - Dogan Paktunc
- Canmet, Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories, 555 Booth Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G1, Canada
| | - Jeff G Bain
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Y Zou Finfrock
- X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Emily M Saurette
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Carol J Ptacek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - David W Blowes
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
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Pakostova E, Hilger DM, Blowes DW, Ptacek CJ. Microbial processes with the potential to mobilize As from a circumneutral-pH mixture of flotation and roaster tailings. Sci Rep 2023; 13:23048. [PMID: 38155250 PMCID: PMC10754864 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50435-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Northwest Tailings Containment Area at the inactive Giant Mine (Canada) contains a complex mixture of arsenic-containing substances, including flotation tailings (84.8 wt%; with 0.4 wt% residual S), roaster calcine wastes (14.4 wt% Fe oxides), and arsenic trioxide (0.8 wt%) derived from an electrostatic precipitator as well as As-containing water (21.3 ± 4.1 mg L-1 As) derived from the underground mine workings. In the vadose zone the tailings pore water has a pH of 7.6 and contains elevated metal(loid)s (2.37 ± 5.90 mg L-1 As); mineral oxidizers account for 2.5% of total 16S rRNA reads in solid samples. In the underlying saturated tailings, dissolved Fe and As concentrations increase with depth (up to 72 and 20 mg L-1, respectively), and the mean relative abundance of Fe(III)-reducers is 0.54% of total reads. The potential for As mobilization via both reductive and oxidative (bio)processes should be considered in Giant Mine remediation activities. The current remediation plan includes installation of an engineered cover that incorporates a geosynthetic barrier layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Pakostova
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
- Centre for Manufacturing and Materials, Coventry University, Coventry, UK.
| | - David M Hilger
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - David W Blowes
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Carol J Ptacek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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Diaz-Vanegas C, Héry M, Desoeuvre A, Bruneel O, Joulian C, Jacob J, Battaglia-Brunet F, Casiot C. Towards an understanding of the factors controlling bacterial diversity and activity in semi-passive Fe- and As-oxidizing bioreactors treating arsenic-rich acid mine drainage. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad089. [PMID: 37632198 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Semi-passive bioreactors based on iron and arsenic oxidation and coprecipitation are promising for the treatment of As-rich acid mine drainages. However, their performance in the field remains variable and unpredictable. Two bioreactors filled with distinct biomass carriers (plastic or a mix of wood and pozzolana) were monitored during 1 year. We characterized the dynamic of the bacterial communities in these bioreactors, and explored the influence of environmental and operational drivers on their diversity and activity. Bacterial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The aioA genes and transcripts were quantified by qPCR and RT-qPCR. Bacterial communities were dominated by several iron-oxidizing genera. Shifts in the communities were attributed to operational and physiochemical parameters including the nature of the biomass carrier, the water pH, temperature, arsenic, and iron concentrations. The bioreactor filled with wood and pozzolana showed a better resilience to disturbances, related to a higher bacterial alpha diversity. We evidenced for the first time aioA expression in a treatment system, associated with the presence of active Thiomonas spp. This confirmed the contribution of biological arsenite oxidation to arsenic removal. The resilience and the functional redundancy of the communities developed in the bioreactors conferred robustness and stability to the treatment systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Diaz-Vanegas
- HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- French Geological Survey (BRGM), Water, Environment, Process and Analyses Division, Orléans, France
| | - Marina Héry
- HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Angélique Desoeuvre
- HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Odile Bruneel
- HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Catherine Joulian
- French Geological Survey (BRGM), Water, Environment, Process and Analyses Division, Orléans, France
| | - Jérôme Jacob
- French Geological Survey (BRGM), Water, Environment, Process and Analyses Division, Orléans, France
| | | | - Corinne Casiot
- HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Garcia-Rios M, De Windt L, Luquot L, Casiot C. Modeling of microbial kinetics and mass transfer in bioreactors simulating the natural attenuation of arsenic and iron in acid mine drainage. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 405:124133. [PMID: 33127192 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Natural attenuation in acid mine drainage (AMD) due to biological iron and arsenic oxidation offers a promising strategy to treat As-rich AMD in passive bioreactors. A reactive transport model is developed in order to identify the main controlling factors. It simulates batch and flow-through experiments that reproduce natural attenuation in a high-As AMD. The 2-D model couples second-order microbial kinetics (Fe- and As- oxidation) and geochemical reactions to hydrodynamic transport. Oxidation only occurrs in the biofilm with an oxygen transfer from the air through the water column. The model correctly simulates the Fe(II)-Fe(III) and As(III)-As(V) concentrations in the outlet waters and the precipitates, over hydraulic retention times from 30 min to 800 min. It confirms that the natural attenuation at 20 °C is driven by the fast Fe(II) oxidation and slow As(III) oxidation that favors arsenite trapping by schwertmannite over amorphous ferric arsenate (AFA) formation. The localization of iron oxidation in the biofilm limits the attenuation of arsenic and iron as the water column height increases. The change in the composition of the bacterial iron-oxidizer community of the biofilm at the lowest pH boundary seems to control the Fe(II) oxidation kinetic rate besides the bacterial concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Garcia-Rios
- HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier-CNRS-IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent De Windt
- Centre de Geosciences, MINES ParisTech, PSL University, Fontainebleau, France
| | - Linda Luquot
- Géosciences Montpellier, Université Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Corinne Casiot
- HydroSciences Montpellier, University of Montpellier-CNRS-IRD, Montpellier, France.
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Akob DM, Hallenbeck M, Beulig F, Fabisch M, Küsel K, Keffer JL, Woyke T, Shapiro N, Lapidus A, Klenk HP, Chan CS. Mixotrophic Iron-Oxidizing Thiomonas Isolates from an Acid Mine Drainage-Affected Creek. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:e01424-20. [PMID: 33008825 PMCID: PMC7688216 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01424-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle Hallenbeck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Felix Beulig
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Maria Fabisch
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Kirsten Küsel
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Jessica L Keffer
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Tanja Woyke
- Joint Genome Institute, U.S. Department of Energy, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Nicole Shapiro
- Joint Genome Institute, U.S. Department of Energy, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Alla Lapidus
- Joint Genome Institute, U.S. Department of Energy, Berkeley, California, USA
- Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Hans-Peter Klenk
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Clara S Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, Delaware, USA
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6
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Lescure T, Joulian C, Charles C, Ben Ali Saanda T, Charron M, Breeze D, Bauda P, Battaglia-Brunet F. Simple or complex organic substrates inhibit arsenite oxidation and aioA gene expression in two β-Proteobacteria strains. Res Microbiol 2020; 171:13-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2019.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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7
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Liu J, Yao J, Sunahara G, Wang F, Li Z, Duran R. Nonferrous metal (loid) s mediate bacterial diversity in an abandoned mine tailing impoundment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:24806-24818. [PMID: 31240654 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05092-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Migration and transformation of toxic metal (loid) s in tailing sites inevitably lead to ecological disturbances and serious threats to the surroundings. However, the horizontal and vertical distribution of bacterial diversity has not been determined in nonferrous metal (loid) tailing ponds, especially in Guangxi China, where the world's largest and potentially most toxic sources of metal (loid) s are located. Distribution of bacterial communities was stable at horizontal levels. At the surface (0-10 cm), the stability was most attributed to Bacillus and Enterococcus, while bacterial communities at the subsurface (50 cm) were mainly contributed by Nitrospira and Sulfuricella. Variable vertical distribution of bacterial communities has led to the occurrence of specific genera and specific predicted functions (such as transcription regulation factors). Sulfurifustis (a S-oxidizing and inorganic carbon fixing bacteria) genera were specific at the surface, whereas Streptococcus-related genera were found at the surface and subsurface, but were more abundant in the latter depth. Physical-chemical parameters, such as pH, TN, and metal (loid) (As, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn) concentrations were the main drivers of bacterial community abundance, diversity, composition, and metabolic functions. These results increase our understanding of the physical-chemical effects on the spatial distribution of bacterial communities and provide useful insight for the bioremediation and site management of nonferrous metal (loid) tailings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Liu
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jun Yao
- School of Water Resource and Environment Engineering, Research Center of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Geoffrey Sunahara
- School of Water Resource and Environment Engineering, Research Center of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, H9X3V9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fei Wang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zifu Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Robert Duran
- School of Water Resource and Environment Engineering, Research Center of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
- Equipe Environnement et Microbiologie, MELODY group, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, IPREM UMR CNRS 5254, BP 1155, 64013, Pau, Cedex, France
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8
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Fernandez-Rojo L, Casiot C, Laroche E, Tardy V, Bruneel O, Delpoux S, Desoeuvre A, Grapin G, Savignac J, Boisson J, Morin G, Battaglia-Brunet F, Joulian C, Héry M. A field-pilot for passive bioremediation of As-rich acid mine drainage. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 232:910-918. [PMID: 30530282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.11.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A field-pilot bioreactor exploiting microbial iron (Fe) oxidation and subsequent arsenic (As) and Fe co-precipitation was monitored during 6 months for the passive treatment of As-rich acid mine drainage (AMD). It was implemented at the Carnoulès mining site (southern France) where AMD contained 790-1315 mg L-1 Fe(II) and 84-152 mg L-1 As, mainly as As(III) (78-83%). The bioreactor consisted in five shallow trays of 1.5 m2 in series, continuously fed with AMD by natural flow. We monitored the flow rate and the water physico-chemistry including redox Fe and As speciation. Hydraulic retention time (HRT) was calculated and the precipitates formed inside the bioreactor were characterized (mineralogy, Fe and As content, As redox state). Since As(III) oxidation improves As retention onto Fe minerals, bacteria with the capacity to oxidize As(III) were quantified through their marker gene aioA. Arsenic removal yields in the pilot ranged between 3% and 97% (average rate (1.8 ± 0.8) ✕ 10-8 mol L-1 s-1), and were positively correlated to HRT and inlet water dissolved oxygen concentration. Fe removal yields did not exceed 11% (average rate (7 ± 5) ✕ 10-8 mol L-1 s-1). In the first 32 days the precipitate contained tooeleite, a rare arsenite ferric sulfate mineral. Then, it evolved toward an amorphous ferric arsenate phase. The As/Fe molar ratio and As(V) to total As proportion increased from 0.29 to 0.86 and from ∼20% to 99%, respectively. The number of bacterial aioA gene copies increased ten-fold during the first 48 days and stabilized thereafter. These results and the monitoring of arsenic speciation in the inlet and the outlet water, provide evidences that As(III) oxidized in the pilot. The biotreatment system we designed proved to be suitable for high As DMA. The formation of sludge highly enriched into As(V) rather than As(III) is advantageous in the perspective of long term storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Fernandez-Rojo
- HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, CC57, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - C Casiot
- HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, CC57, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France.
| | - E Laroche
- HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, CC57, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France; French Geological Survey (BRGM), Geomicrobiology and Environmental Monitoring Unit, 3, Avenue Claude Guillemin, BP, 36009, 45060, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - V Tardy
- HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, CC57, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - O Bruneel
- HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, CC57, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - S Delpoux
- HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, CC57, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - A Desoeuvre
- HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, CC57, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - G Grapin
- IRH Ingénieur Conseil, Anteagroup, 427 Rue Lavoisier - CS 50155, 54714, Ludres Cedex, France
| | - J Savignac
- IRH Ingénieur Conseil, Anteagroup, 427 Rue Lavoisier - CS 50155, 54714, Ludres Cedex, France
| | - J Boisson
- IRH Ingénieur Conseil, Anteagroup, 197 Avenue de Fronton, 31200, Toulouse, France
| | - G Morin
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), UMR 7590, CNRS-UPMC-IRD-MNHN, Sorbonne Universités, 4 place Jussieu, 75252, Paris cedex 05, France
| | - F Battaglia-Brunet
- French Geological Survey (BRGM), Geomicrobiology and Environmental Monitoring Unit, 3, Avenue Claude Guillemin, BP, 36009, 45060, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - C Joulian
- French Geological Survey (BRGM), Geomicrobiology and Environmental Monitoring Unit, 3, Avenue Claude Guillemin, BP, 36009, 45060, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - M Héry
- HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, CC57, 163 Rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France
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9
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Laroche E, Casiot C, Fernandez-Rojo L, Desoeuvre A, Tardy V, Bruneel O, Battaglia-Brunet F, Joulian C, Héry M. Dynamics of Bacterial Communities Mediating the Treatment of an As-Rich Acid Mine Drainage in a Field Pilot. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:3169. [PMID: 30627121 PMCID: PMC6309452 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Passive treatment based on iron biological oxidation is a promising strategy for Arsenic (As)-rich acid mine drainage (AMD) remediation. In the present study, we characterized by 16S rRNA metabarcoding the bacterial diversity in a field-pilot bioreactor treating extremely As-rich AMD in situ, over a 6 months monitoring period. Inside the bioreactor, the bacterial communities responsible for iron and arsenic removal formed a biofilm (“biogenic precipitate”) whose composition varied in time and space. These communities evolved from a structure at first similar to the one of the feed water used as an inoculum to a structure quite similar to the natural biofilm developing in situ in the AMD. Over the monitoring period, iron-oxidizing bacteria always largely dominated the biogenic precipitate, with distinct populations (Gallionella, Ferrovum, Leptospirillum, Acidithiobacillus, Ferritrophicum), whose relative proportions extensively varied among time and space. A spatial structuring was observed inside the trays (arranged in series) composing the bioreactor. This spatial dynamic could be linked to the variation of the physico-chemistry of the AMD water between the raw water entering and the treated water exiting the pilot. According to redundancy analysis (RDA), the following parameters exerted a control on the bacterial communities potentially involved in the water treatment process: dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, dissolved sulfates, arsenic and Fe(II) concentrations and redox potential. Appreciable arsenite oxidation occurring in the bioreactor could be linked to the stable presence of two distinct monophylogenetic groups of Thiomonas related bacteria. The ubiquity and the physiological diversity of the bacteria identified, as well as the presence of bacteria of biotechnological relevance, suggested that this treatment system could be applied to the treatment of other AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Laroche
- HydroSciences Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,BRGM, Geomicrobiology and Environmental Monitoring Unit, Orléans, France
| | - Corinne Casiot
- HydroSciences Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Lidia Fernandez-Rojo
- HydroSciences Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Angélique Desoeuvre
- HydroSciences Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Vincent Tardy
- HydroSciences Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Odile Bruneel
- HydroSciences Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Catherine Joulian
- BRGM, Geomicrobiology and Environmental Monitoring Unit, Orléans, France
| | - Marina Héry
- HydroSciences Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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10
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Hydraulic retention time affects bacterial community structure in an As-rich acid mine drainage (AMD) biotreatment process. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:9803-9813. [PMID: 30155752 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9290-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Arsenic removal consecutive to biological iron oxidation and precipitation is an effective process for treating As-rich acid mine drainage (AMD). We studied the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT)-from 74 to 456 min-in a bench-scale bioreactor exploiting such process. The treatment efficiency was monitored during 19 days, and the final mineralogy and bacterial communities of the biogenic precipitates were characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The percentage of Fe(II) oxidation (10-47%) and As removal (19-37%) increased with increasing HRT. Arsenic was trapped in the biogenic precipitates as As(III)-bearing schwertmannite and amorphous ferric arsenate, with a decrease of As/Fe ratio with increasing HRT. The bacterial community in the biogenic precipitate was dominated by Fe-oxidizing bacteria whatever the HRT. The proportion of Gallionella and Ferrovum genera shifted from respectively 65 and 12% at low HRT to 23 and 51% at high HRT, in relation with physicochemical changes in the treated water. aioA genes and Thiomonas genus were detected at all HRT although As(III) oxidation was not evidenced. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of the role of HRT as a driver of bacterial community structure in bioreactors exploiting microbial Fe(II) oxidation for AMD treatment.
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