1
|
Battaglia-Brunet F, Nancucheo I, Jacob J, Joulian C. Sulphidogenic Bioprocesses for Acid Mine Water Treatment and Selective Recovery of Arsenic and Metals. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39190202 DOI: 10.1007/10_2024_264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Human communities need water and mineral resources, the supply of which requires the implementation of recycling and saving strategies. Both closed and active mining sites could beneficiate of the implementation of nature-based solutions, including bioreactors involving sulphate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP), in order to separate and recover arsenic (As) and metals from aqueous stream while producing clean water. Selective precipitation strategies can be designed based on the selection of microbial communities adapted to the pH conditions, generally acidic, and to available low-cost electron donors. Laboratory batch and continuous experiments must be implemented for each type of mine water in order to determine the optimal flow-sheet in which As could be precipitated as sulphides (orpiment or realgar), inside the bioreactor or offline, through stripping of biologically produced hydrogen sulphides (H2S). The respective concentrations and proportions of As and metals and the initial acid mine drainage pH are key parameters that will influence the feasibility of efficient selective precipitation. SRP-based bioreactors could be combined with complementary treatment steps in optimised mine water management solutions that will minimise the production of As-contaminated end-solid waste.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivan Nancucheo
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción, Chile
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gupta S, Plugge CM, Muyzer G, Sánchez-Andrea I. Harnessing the potential of the microbial sulfur cycle for environmental biotechnology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 88:103164. [PMID: 38964081 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The sulfur cycle is a complex biogeochemical cycle characterized by the high variability in the oxidation states of sulfur. While sulfur is essential for life processes, certain sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide, are toxic to all life forms. Micro-organisms facilitate the sulfur cycle, playing a prominent role even in extreme environments, such as soda lakes, acid mine drainage sites, hot springs, and other harsh habitats. The activity of these micro-organisms presents unique opportunities for mitigating sulfur-based pollution and enhancing the recovery of sulfur and metals. This review highlights the application of sulfur-oxidizing and -reducing micro-organisms in environmental biotechnology through three illustrative examples. Additionally, it discusses the challenges, recent trends, and prospects associated with these applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suyash Gupta
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands; Microbial Systems Ecology, Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute or Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Caroline M Plugge
- Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard Muyzer
- Microbial Systems Ecology, Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute or Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Irene Sánchez-Andrea
- Environmental Science for Sustainability Department, IE Universidad, Segovia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jiang G, Wang C, Wang Y, Wang J, Xue Y, Lin Y, Hu X, Lv Y. Exogenous putrescine plays a switch-like influence on the pH stress adaptability of biofilm-based activated sludge. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0056924. [PMID: 38916292 PMCID: PMC11267902 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00569-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial community adaptability to pH stress plays a crucial role in biofilm formation. This study aims to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of exogenous putrescine on pH stress, as well as enhance understanding and application for the technical measures and molecular mechanisms of biofilm regulation. Findings demonstrated that exogenous putrescine acted as a switch-like distributor affecting microorganism pH stress, thus promoting biofilm formation under acid conditions while inhibiting it under alkaline conditions. As pH decreases, the protonation degree of putrescine increases, making putrescine more readily adsorbed. Protonated exogenous putrescine could increase cell membrane permeability, facilitating its entry into the cell. Subsequently, putrescine consumed intracellular H+ by enhancing the glutamate-based acid resistance strategy and the γ-aminobutyric acid metabolic pathway to reduce acid stress on cells. Furthermore, putrescine stimulated ATPase expression, allowing for better utilization of energy in H+ transmembrane transport and enhancing oxidative phosphorylation activity. However, putrescine protonation was limited under alkaline conditions, and the intracellular H+ consumption further exacerbated alkali stress and inhibits cellular metabolic activity. Exogenous putrescine promoted the proportion of fungi and acidophilic bacteria under acidic stress and alkaliphilic bacteria under alkali stress while having a limited impact on fungi in alkaline biofilms. Increasing Bdellovibrio under alkali conditions with putrescine further aggravated the biofilm decomposition. This research shed light on the unclear relationship between exogenous putrescine, environmental pH, and pH stress adaptability of biofilm. By judiciously employing putrescine, biofilm formation could be controlled to meet the needs of engineering applications with different characteristics.IMPORTANCEThe objective of this study is to unravel the regulatory mechanism by which exogenous putrescine influences biofilm pH stress adaptability and understand the role of environmental pH in this intricate process. Our findings revealed that exogenous putrescine functioned as a switch-like distributor affecting the pH stress adaptability of biofilm-based activated sludge, which promoted energy utilization for growth and reproduction processes under acidic conditions while limiting biofilm development to conserve energy under alkaline conditions. This study not only clarified the previously ambiguous relationship between exogenous putrescine, environmental pH, and biofilm pH stress adaptability but also offered fresh insights into enhancing biofilm stability within extreme environments. Through the modulation of energy utilization, exerting control over biofilm growth and achieving more effective engineering goals could be possible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guanyu Jiang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin, China
| | - Can Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongchao Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiayi Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin, China
| | - Yimei Xue
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuting Lin
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin, China
| | - Xurui Hu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin, China
| | - Yahui Lv
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, Tianjin, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ding S, Grossi V, Hopmans EC, Bale NJ, Cravo-Laureau C, Sinninghe Damsté JS. Nitrogen and sulfur for phosphorus: Lipidome adaptation of anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria in phosphorus-deprived conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2400711121. [PMID: 38833476 PMCID: PMC11181052 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2400711121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how microbial lipidomes adapt to environmental and nutrient stress is crucial for comprehending microbial survival and functionality. Certain anaerobic bacteria can synthesize glycerolipids with ether/ester bonds, yet the complexities of their lipidome remodeling under varying physicochemical and nutritional conditions remain largely unexplored. In this study, we thoroughly examined the lipidome adaptations of Desulfatibacillum alkenivorans strain PF2803T, a mesophilic anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacterium known for its high proportions of alkylglycerol ether lipids in its membrane, under various cultivation conditions including temperature, pH, salinity, and ammonium and phosphorous concentrations. Employing an extensive analytical and computational lipidomic methodology, we identified an assemblage of nearly 400 distinct lipids, including a range of glycerol ether/ester lipids with various polar head groups. Information theory-based analysis revealed that temperature fluctuations and phosphate scarcity profoundly influenced the lipidome's composition, leading to an enhanced diversity and specificity of novel lipids. Notably, phosphorous limitation led to the biosynthesis of novel glucuronosylglycerols and sulfur-containing aminolipids, termed butyramide cysteine glycerols, featuring various ether/ester bonds. This suggests a novel adaptive strategy for anaerobic heterotrophs to thrive under phosphorus-depleted conditions, characterized by a diverse array of nitrogen- and sulfur-containing polar head groups, moving beyond a reliance on conventional nonphospholipid types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Su Ding
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, TexelSZ 1797, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent Grossi
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne69622, France
| | - Ellen C. Hopmans
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, TexelSZ 1797, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole J. Bale
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, TexelSZ 1797, The Netherlands
| | - Cristiana Cravo-Laureau
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l’environnement et les Matériaux, Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, CNRS, Pau64000, France
| | - Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, TexelSZ 1797, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, CB3584, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Egas RA, Kurth JM, Boeren S, Sousa DZ, Welte CU, Sánchez-Andrea I. A novel mechanism for dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in Acididesulfobacillus acetoxydans. mSystems 2024; 9:e0096723. [PMID: 38323850 PMCID: PMC10949509 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00967-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The biological route of nitrate reduction has important implications for the bioavailability of nitrogen within ecosystems. Nitrate reduction via nitrite, either to ammonium (ammonification) or to nitrous oxide or dinitrogen (denitrification), determines whether nitrogen is retained within the system or lost as a gas. The acidophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium (aSRB) Acididesulfobacillus acetoxydans can perform dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). While encoding a Nar-type nitrate reductase, A. acetoxydans lacks recognized nitrite reductase genes. In this study, A. acetoxydans was cultivated under conditions conducive to DNRA. During cultivations, we monitored the production of potential nitrogen intermediates (nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide, hydroxylamine, and ammonium). Resting cell experiments were performed with nitrate, nitrite, and hydroxylamine to confirm their reduction to ammonium, and formed intermediates were tracked. To identify the enzymes involved in DNRA, comparative transcriptomics and proteomics were performed with A. acetoxydans growing under nitrate- and sulfate-reducing conditions. Nitrite is likely reduced to ammonia by the previously undescribed nitrite reductase activity of the NADH-linked sulfite reductase AsrABC, or by a putatively ferredoxin-dependent homolog of the nitrite reductase NirA (DEACI_1836), or both. We identified enzymes and intermediates not previously associated with DNRA and nitrosative stress in aSRB. This increases our knowledge about the metabolism of this type of bacteria and helps the interpretation of (meta)genome data from various ecosystems on their DNRA potential and the nitrogen cycle.IMPORTANCENitrogen is crucial to any ecosystem, and its bioavailability depends on microbial nitrogen-transforming reactions. Over the recent years, various new nitrogen-transforming reactions and pathways have been identified, expanding our view on the nitrogen cycle and metabolic versatility. In this study, we elucidate a novel mechanism employed by Acididesulfobacillus acetoxydans, an acidophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium, to reduce nitrate to ammonium. This finding underscores the diverse physiological nature of dissimilatory reduction to ammonium (DNRA). A. acetoxydans was isolated from acid mine drainage, an extremely acidic environment where nitrogen metabolism is poorly studied. Our findings will contribute to understanding DNRA potential and variations in extremely acidic environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reinier A. Egas
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julia M. Kurth
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Microcosm Earth Centre, Philipps-Universität Marburg & Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sjef Boeren
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Diana Z. Sousa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Living Technologies, Alliance TU/e, WUR, UU, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelia U. Welte
- Department of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Sánchez-Andrea
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Sciences for Sustainability, IE University, Segovia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Egas RA, Sahonero-Canavesi DX, Bale NJ, Koenen M, Yildiz Ç, Villanueva L, Sousa DZ, Sánchez-Andrea I. Acetic acid stress response of the acidophilic sulfate reducer Acididesulfobacillus acetoxydans. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16565. [PMID: 38356112 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Acid mine drainage (AMD) waters are a severe environmental threat, due to their high metal content and low pH (pH <3). Current technologies treating AMD utilize neutrophilic sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRMs), but acidophilic SRM could offer advantages. As AMDs are low in organics these processes require electron donor addition, which is often incompletely oxidized into organic acids (e.g., acetic acid). At low pH, acetic acid is undissociated and toxic to microorganisms. We investigated the stress response of the acetotrophic Acididesulfobacillus acetoxydans to acetic acid. A. acetoxydans was cultivated in bioreactors at pH 5.0 (optimum). For stress experiments, triplicate reactors were spiked until 7.5 mM of acetic acid and compared with (non-spiked) triplicate reactors for physiological, transcriptomic, and membrane lipid changes. After acetic acid spiking, the optical density initially dropped, followed by an adaptation phase during which growth resumed at a lower growth rate. Transcriptome analysis revealed a downregulation of genes involved in glutamate and aspartate synthesis following spiking. Membrane lipid analysis revealed a decrease in iso and anteiso fatty acid relative abundance; and an increase of acetyl-CoA as a fatty acid precursor. These adaptations allow A. acetoxydans to detoxify acetic acid, creating milder conditions for other microorganisms in AMD environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reinier A Egas
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Diana X Sahonero-Canavesi
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole J Bale
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Koenen
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Çağlar Yildiz
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Villanueva
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Diana Z Sousa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Living Technologies, Alliance TU/e, WUR, UU, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Sánchez-Andrea
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Environmental Sciences and Sustainability Department, Science & Technology School, IE University, Segovia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Oren A, Göker M. Validation List no. 212. Valid publication of new names and new combinations effectively published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73. [PMID: 37526968 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aharon Oren
- The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, 9190401 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Markus Göker
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstrasse 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sinninghe Damsté JS, Rijpstra WIC, Huber KJ, Albuquerque L, Egas C, Bale NJ. Dominance of mixed ether/ester, intact polar membrane lipids in five species of the order Rubrobacterales: Another group of bacteria not obeying the "lipid divide". Syst Appl Microbiol 2023; 46:126404. [PMID: 36868099 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2023.126404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
The composition of the core lipids and intact polar lipids (IPLs) of five Rubrobacter species was examined. Methylated (ω-4) fatty acids (FAs) characterized the core lipids of Rubrobacter radiotolerans, R. xylanophilus and R. bracarensis. In contrast, R. calidifluminis and R. naiadicus lacked ω-4 methyl FAs but instead contained abundant (i.e., 34-41 % of the core lipids) ω-cyclohexyl FAs not reported before in the order Rubrobacterales. Their genomes contained an almost complete operon encoding proteins enabling production of cyclohexane carboxylic acid CoA thioester, which acts as a building block for ω-cyclohexyl FAs in other bacteria. Hence, the most plausible explanation for the biosynthesis of these cyclic FAs in R. calidifluminis and R. naiadicus is a recent acquisition of this operon. All strains contained 1-O-alkyl glycerol ether lipids in abundance (up to 46 % of the core lipids), in line with the dominance (>90 %) of mixed ether/ester IPLs with a variety of polar headgroups. The IPL head group distribution of R. calidifluminis and R. naiadicus differed, e.g. they lacked a novel IPL tentatively assigned as phosphothreoninol. The genomes of all five Rubrobacter species contained a putative operon encoding the synthesis of the 1-O-alkyl glycerol phosphate, the presumed building block of mixed ether/ester IPLs, which shows some resemblance with an operon enabling ether lipid production in various other aerobic bacteria but requires more study. The uncommon dominance of mixed ether/ester IPLs in Rubrobacter species exemplifies our recent growing awareness that the lipid divide between archaea and bacteria/eukaryotes is not as clear cut as previously thought.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaap S Sinninghe Damsté
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Texel, the Netherlands; Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - W Irene C Rijpstra
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Texel, the Netherlands
| | - Katharina J Huber
- Department of Microorganisms, Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Luciana Albuquerque
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, 3060-197, Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Conceição Egas
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, 3060-197, Cantanhede, Portugal; BIOCANT - Transfer Technology Association, Biocant Park, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Nicole J Bale
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Texel, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ilin AM, van der Graaf CM, Yusta I, Sorrentino A, Sánchez-Andrea I, Sánchez-España J. Glycerol amendment enhances biosulfidogenesis in acid mine drainage-affected areas: An incubation column experiment. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:978728. [PMID: 36105607 PMCID: PMC9464833 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.978728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial sulfate (SO42−) reduction in Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) environments can ameliorate the acidity and extreme metal concentrations by consumption of protons via the reduction of SO42− to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and the concomitant precipitation of metals as metal sulfides. The activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria can be stimulated by the amendment of suitable organic carbon sources in these generally oligotrophic environments. Here, we used incubation columns (IC) as model systems to investigate the effect of glycerol amendment on the microbial community composition and its effect on the geochemistry of sediment and waters in AMD environments. The ICs were built with natural water and sediments from four distinct AMD-affected sites with different nutrient regimes: the oligotrophic Filón Centro and Guadiana acidic pit lakes, the Tintillo river (Huelva, Spain) and the eutrophic Brunita pit lake (Murcia, Spain). Physicochemical parameters were monitored during 18 months, and the microbial community composition was determined at the end of incubation through 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. SEM-EDX analysis of sediments and suspended particulate matter was performed to investigate the microbially-induced mineral (neo)formation. Glycerol amendment strongly triggered biosulfidogenesis in all ICs, with pH increase and metal sulfide formation, but the effect was much more pronounced in the ICs from oligotrophic systems. Analysis of the microbial community composition at the end of the incubations showed that the SRB Desulfosporosinus was among the dominant taxa observed in all sulfidogenic columns, whereas the SRB Desulfurispora, Desulfovibrio and Acididesulfobacillus appeared to be more site-specific. Formation of Fe3+ and Al3+ (oxy)hydroxysulfates was observed during the initial phase of incubation together with increasing pH while formation of metal sulfides (predominantly, Zn, Fe and Cu sulfides) was observed after 1–5 months of incubation. Chemical analysis of the aqueous phase at the end of incubation showed almost complete removal of dissolved metals (Cu, Zn, Cd) in the amended ICs, while Fe and SO42− increased towards the water-sediment interface, likely as a result of the reductive dissolution of Fe(III) minerals enhanced by Fe-reducing bacteria. The combined geochemical and microbiological analyses further establish the link between biosulfidogenesis and natural attenuation through metal sulfide formation and proton consumption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Ilin
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, Spain
- *Correspondence: A. M. Ilin, ; J. Sánchez-España,
| | - C. M. van der Graaf
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University (WUR), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - I. Yusta
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, Spain
| | - A. Sorrentino
- ALBA Synchrotron Light Source, Cerdanyola del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain
| | - I. Sánchez-Andrea
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University (WUR), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - J. Sánchez-España
- Mine Wastes and Environmental Geochemistry Research Group, Department of Geological Resources for the Ecological Transition, (CN IGME-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: A. M. Ilin, ; J. Sánchez-España,
| |
Collapse
|