scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Analysis of the Microbial Community in the Tailings of a Pb-Zn Mine Generating Acidic Drainage

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (15) ◽  
pp. 5540-5544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Nan Huang ◽  
Wen-Hua Zhou ◽  
Kevin B. Hallberg ◽  
Cai-Yun Wan ◽  
Jie Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Microbial Populations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tailings Impoundment ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Analysis ◽  
Acidophilic Archaea

ABSTRACTAnalysis of spatial and temporal variations in the microbial community in the abandoned tailings impoundment of a Pb-Zn mine revealed distinct microbial populations associated with the different oxidation stages of the tailings. AlthoughAcidithiobacillus ferrooxidansandLeptospirillumspp. were consistently present in the acidic tailings, acidophilic archaea, mostlyFerroplasma acidiphilum, were predominant in the oxidized zones and the oxidation front, indicating their importance to generation of acid mine drainage.

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

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (15) ◽  
pp. 4874-4884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weimin Sun ◽  
Tangfu Xiao ◽  
Min Sun ◽  
Yiran Dong ◽  
Zengping Ning ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Southwest China ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Redox Potentials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Abandoned Coal Mines ◽  
S Cycling

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.

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

2018 ◽  
Vol 247 ◽  
pp. 624-632 ◽  
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

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.

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

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

<p>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<sup>-1</sup> and 10 mg L<sup>-1</sup>, 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.</p> <p>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 <em>in vivo</em> by enrichment cultivation and isolated strains were tested for their ability to perform arsenic redox transformation.</p> <p>Preliminary analyses indicated that the biofilm accumulated arsenic in the order of 6 · 10<sup>3</sup> mg kg<sup>-1</sup>, in contrast to 0.14 mg L<sup>-1</sup>, 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 <em>Cyanobacteria</em> belonging to the species <em>Tychonema</em> 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  oxidation.</p> <p>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.</p>

Characterization of the microbial acid mine drainage microbial community using culturing and direct sequencing techniques

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan R. Auld ◽  
Maxine Myre ◽  
Nadia C.S. Mykytczuk ◽  
Leo G. Leduc ◽  
Thomas J.S. Merritt
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Direct Sequencing ◽  
Acid Mine

scholarly journals Fine-scale spatial patterns in microbial community composition in an acid mine drainage

2017 ◽  
Vol 93 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie-Liang Liang ◽  
Xiao-Jing Li ◽  
Hao-Yue Shu ◽  
Pandeng Wang ◽  
Jia-Liang Kuang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Acid Mine

Preliminary Study of Neutralization and Inhibition of Chemolitotrophic Bacteria in an Acid Mine Drainage from Rio Tinto Site

2009 ◽  
Vol 71-73 ◽  
pp. 677-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Carnicero ◽  
E. Díaz ◽  
O. Escolano ◽  
D. Rubinos ◽  
O. Ballesteros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Red Mud ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Microbial Populations ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Neutralization Capacity ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Rio Tinto ◽  
Río Tinto

Limestone is commonly used for neutralization of acid mine drainage (AMD). Its main advantages are its lower price, sustained generation of alkalinity and production of low sludge volumes. Nevertheless, armouring of limestone by ferric hydroxides is a problem in oxic limestone drains and in active limestone treatment systems, reducing the efficiency of the process. Due to these disadvantages, there is a permanent search for cheaper and more effective neutralization agents. Many alkaline industrial wastes are gaining importance in the treatment of AMD. The possibilities to use two different industrial by-products, red mud from a bauxite exploitation and low grade magnesium hydroxide from a magnesite mine, as neutralizing and bacterial inhibiting agents, and the comparison with conventional limestone treatment has been studied in this paper. An AMD from Rio Tinto mine site with an initial pH of 2.4 and a ferric concentration of 1 g/L was used. Comparative test were done percolating the AMD in a continuous form with a peristaltic pump through three different columns filled with limestone, red mud and low grade magnesite, during one month and in same conditions of flow rate and amount of each compound used to fill the columns. The evolution of pH, iron and heavy metals, sulphates and microbial populations in the percolate were monitored at different times. The results showed that the best neutralization capacity was obtained with low grade magnesite during the month treatment. By contraire limestone and red mud loosed their neutralization capacity after 10 and 13 days respectively. The control of microbial populations showed that there is an inhibition of chemolithotropic bacteria as long as the materials maintain their neutralization capacity, reverting to the initial conditions when this capacity was loosed.

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