Fe(III) Biomineralization in the Surface Microlayer of Acid Mine Waters Catalyzed by Neustonic Fe(II)-Oxidizing Microorganisms
dc.contributor.author | Sánchez España, Javier | |
dc.contributor.author | Ilin Moskalenko, Andrey | |
dc.contributor.author | Yusta Arnal, Iñaki | |
dc.contributor.author | Van der Graaf, Charlotte M. | |
dc.contributor.author | Sánchez Andrea, Irene | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2023-04-28T15:01:05Z | |
dc.date.available | 2023-04-28T15:01:05Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2023-04-01 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Minerals 13(4) : (2023) // Article ID 508 | es_ES |
dc.identifier.issn | 2075-163X | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10810/60978 | |
dc.description.abstract | The formation of thin mineral films or encrustations floating on the water surface of low-flow or stagnant zones of acid mine drainage (AMD)-affected streams is probably among the most exotic features that can be found in mining areas. However, most fundamental questions about their origin (biotic vs. abiotic), structure, mineralogy, physical stability and metal-retention capacity remain unanswered. This study aims to reveal the factors promoting their formation and to clarify their composition in detail. With this purpose, the major mineral phases were studied with XRD in surface film samples found in different mine sites of the Iberian Pyrite Belt mining district (SW Spain), and the major oxide and trace metal concentrations were measured with XRF and/or ICP-MS. Fe(III) minerals dominated these formations, with mineralogy controlled by the pH (jarosite at pH~2.0, schwertmannite at pH 2.5–3.5, ferrihydrite at pH > 6.0). Other minerals have also been identified in minor proportions, such as brushite or khademite. These mineral formations show an astounding capacity to concentrate, by orders of magnitude (×102 to ×105), many different trace metals present in the underlying aqueous solutions, either as anionic complexes (e.g., U, Th, As, Cr, V, Sb, P) or as divalent metal cations (e.g., Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb). These floating mineral films are usually formed in Fe(II)-rich acidic waters, so their formation necessarily implies the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) phases. The potential involvement of Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms was investigated through 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of water underneath the Fe(III)-rich floating mineral films. The sequenced reads were dominated by Ferrovum (51.7 ± 0.3%), Acidithiobacillus (18.5 ± 0.9%) and Leptospirillum (3.3 ± 0.1%), three well-known Fe(II)-oxidizing genera. These microorganisms are major contributors to the formation of the ferric mineral films, although other genera most likely also play a role in aspects such as Fe(III) sequestration, nucleation or mineral growth. The floating mineral films found in stagnant acidic mine waters represent hotspots of biosphere/hydrosphere/atmosphere interactions of great value for the study of iron biogeochemistry in redox boundaries. | es_ES |
dc.description.sponsorship | This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through grant number CGL2016-74984-R to J.S.-E., the research program TTW by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) under project number 14797 to I.S.-A and the Basque Government (Consolidated Group IT1678-22) to I.Y. and A.M.I. | es_ES |
dc.language.iso | eng | es_ES |
dc.publisher | MDPI | es_ES |
dc.relation | info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/CGL2016-74984-R | es_ES |
dc.rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess | es_ES |
dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
dc.subject | acidophilic microorganisms | es_ES |
dc.subject | microbial iron oxidation | es_ES |
dc.subject | neuston | es_ES |
dc.subject | acid mine drainage | es_ES |
dc.subject | biomineralization | es_ES |
dc.subject | metal/microbe/mineral interaction | es_ES |
dc.title | Fe(III) Biomineralization in the Surface Microlayer of Acid Mine Waters Catalyzed by Neustonic Fe(II)-Oxidizing Microorganisms | es_ES |
dc.type | info:eu-repo/semantics/article | es_ES |
dc.date.updated | 2023-04-27T13:51:19Z | |
dc.rights.holder | © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). | es_ES |
dc.relation.publisherversion | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/13/4/508 | es_ES |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.3390/min13040508 | |
dc.departamentoes | Geología | |
dc.departamentoeu | Geologia |
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).