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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Microbial H2 cycling does not affect δ2H values of ground water

Stable hydrogen-isotope values of ground water (δ 2 H) and dissolved hydrogen concentrations (H (2(aq) ) were quantified in a petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminated aquifer to determine whether the production/consumption of H 2 by subsurface microorganisms affects ground water &delta 2 H values. The range of &delta 2 H observed in monitoring wells sampled (-27.8 ‰ c to -15.5 ‰ c ) was best explained, however, by seasonal differences in recharge temperature as indicated using ground water δ 18 O values, rather than isotopic exchange reactions involving the microbial cycling of H 2 during anaerobic petroleum-hydrocarbon biodegradation. The absence of a measurable hydrogen-isotope exchange between microbially cycled H 2 and ground water reflects the fact that the amount of H 2 available from the anaerobic decomposition of petroleum hydrocarbons is small relative to the amount of hydrogen present in water, even though milligram per liter concentrations of readily biodegradable contaminants are present at the study site. Additionally, isotopic fractionation calculations indicate that in order for H 2 cycling processes to affect δ 2 H values of ground water, relatively high concentrations of H 2 (>0.080 M) would have to be maintained, considerably higher than the 0.2 to 26 nM present at this site and characteristic of anaerobic conditions in general. These observations suggest that the conventional approach of using δ 2 H and δ 18 O values to determine recharge history is appropriate even for those ground water systems characterized by anaerobic conditions and extensive microbial H 2 cycling.

Ground Water↗

Biodegradation of disinfection byproducts as a potential removal process during aquifer storage recovery

The biodegradation potential of two drinking water disinfection byproducts was investigated using aquifer materials obtained from approximately 100 and 200 meters below land surface in an aerobic aquifer system undergoing aquifer storage recovery of treated surface water. No significant biodegradation of a model trihalomethane compound, chloroform, was observed in aquifer microcosms under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. In contrast, between 16 and 27 percent mineralization of a radiolabeled model haloacetic acid compound, chloroacetic acid, was observed. These results indicate that although the potential for biodegradation of chloroacetic acid exists in deep aquifer systems, chloroform entrained within these aquifers or formed in situ will tend to persist. These results have important implications for water managers planning to meet anticipated lowered permissible levels of tri-halomethanes in drinking water.The biodegradation potential of two drinking water disinfection byproducts was investigated using aquifer materials obtained from approximately 100 and 200 meters below land surface in an aerobic aquifer system undergoing aquifer storage recovery of treated surface water. No significant biodegradation of a model trihalomethane compound, chloroform, was observed in aquifer microcosms under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. In contrast, between 16 and 27 percent mineralization of a radiolabeled model haloacetic acid compound, chloroacetic acid, was observed. These results indicate that although the potential for biodegradation of chloroacetic acid exists in deep aquifer systems, chloroform entrained within these aquifers or formed in situ will tend to persist. These results have important implications for water managers planning to meet anticipated lowered permissible levels of trihalomethanes in drinking water.Aquifer-storage-recovery injection water often contains disinfection byproducts. Results are presented from a study in which two model disinfection byproducts, chloroform and chloroacetic acid, were used to examine biodegradation by indigenous microorganisms. The recharge system studied was near Las Vegas, NV, where the aquifers are recharged artificially during the winter months. Microcosms were constructed using aquifer material recovered from two layers. Results showed that no significant biodegradation of chloroform occurred under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, but chloroacetic acid was biodegraded under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Journal of the American Water Resources Associatio↗

Potential contribution of microbial degradation to natural attenuation of MTBE in surface water systems

To evaluate the potential contribution of in situ biodegradation as a mechanism for natural attenuation of MTBE in surface water, surface water sediments were collected from streams and lakes at 11 sites throughout the US and the ability of the indigenous microorganisms to mineralize [U-14C] MTBE to 14CO2 under aerobic conditions was examined. Mineralization of [U-14C] MTBE to 14CO2 ranged from 15 to 66% over 50 days and did not differ significantly between sediments collected from MTBE contaminated sites and from sites with no history of MTBE exposure. The microorganisms, which inhabit the bed sediments of streams and lakes could degrade MTBE efficiently and this capability is widespread in the environment. Microbial degradation of [U-14C] MTBE was observed in surface-water-sediment microcosms under anaerobic conditions, but the efficiency and products of anaerobic MTBE biodegradation were strongly dependent on the predominant terminal electron accepting conditions. Microorganisms inhabiting the bed sediments of streams and lakes could degrade MTBE effectively under a range of anaerobic terminal electron accepting conditions. Thus, anaerobic bed sediment microbial processes also might contribute to natural attenuation of MTBE in surface water systems throughout the US.

Conference Paper↗

Potential contribution of microbial degradation to natural attenuation of MTBE in surface water systems

The potential contribution of in situ biodegradation as a mechanism for natural attenuation of MTBE in surface water was studied. Surface water sediments from streams and lakes at 11 sites throughout the US. Microbial degradation of [U-14C] MTBE was observed in surface-water-sediment microcosms under anaerobic conditions, but the efficiency and products of anaerobic MTBE biodegradation were strongly dependent on the predominant terminal electron accepting conditions. In the presence of substantial methanogenic activity, MTBE biodegradation was nominal and involved reduction of MTBE to t-butanol (TBA). Under more oxidizing conditions, minimal accumulation of 14C-TBA and significant mineralization of [U-14C] MTBE to 14CO2 were observed. Microorganisms inhabiting the bed sediments of streams and lakes could degrade MTBE effectively under a range of anaerobic terminal electron accepting conditions. Thus, anaerobic bed sediment microbial processes also might contribute to natural attenuation of MTBE in surface water systems throughout the US. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 222nd ACS National Meting (Chicago, IL 8/26-30/2001).

ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry, Preprints↗

Geobacter metallireducens gen. nov. sp. nov., a microorganism capable of coupling the complete oxidation of organic compounds to the reduction of iron and other metals

The gram-negative metal-reducing microorganism, previously known as strain GS-15, was further characterized. This strict anaerobe oxidizes several short-chain fatty acids, alcohols, and monoaromatic compounds with Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor. Furthermore, acetate is also oxidized with the reduction of Mn (IV), U (VI), and nitrate. In whole cell suspensions, the c -type cytochrome(s) of this organism was oxidized by physiological electron acceptors and also by gold, silver, mercury, and chromate. Menaquinone was recovered in concentrations comparable to those previously found in gram-negative sulfate reducers. Profiles of the phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids indicated that both the anaerobic desaturase and the branched pathways for fatty acid biosynthesis were operative. The organism contained three lipopolysaccharide hydroxy fatty acids which have not been previously reported in microorganisms, but have been observed in anaerobic freshwater sediments. The 16S rRNA sequence indicated that this organism belongs in the delta proteobacteria. Its closest known relative is Desulfuromonas acetoxidans . The name Geobacter metallireducens is proposed.

Archives of Microbiology↗

Microbial degradation of chloroethenes in groundwater systems

The chloroethenes, tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) are among the most common contaminants detected in groundwater systems. As recently as 1980, the consensus was that chloroethene compounds were not significantly biodegradable in groundwater. Consequently, efforts to remediate chloroethene-contaminated groundwater were limited to largely unsuccessful pump-and-treat attempts. Subsequent investigation revealed that under reducing conditions, aquifer microorganisms can reductively dechlorinate PCE and TCE to the less chlorinated daughter products dichloroethene (DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). Although recent laboratory studies conducted with halorespiring microorganisms suggest that complete reduction to ethene is possible, in the majority of groundwater systems reductive dechlorination apparently stops at DCE or VC. However, recent investigations conducted with aquifer and stream-bed sediments have demonstrated that microbial oxidation of these reduced daughter products can be significant under anaerobic redox conditions. The combination of reductive dechlorination of PCE and TCE under anaerobic conditions followed by anaerobic microbial oxidation of DCE and VC provides a possible microbial pathway for complete degradation of chloroethene contaminants in groundwater systems.

Hydrogeology Journal↗

Structural evolution of iron coordination in proteins across Earth’s oxygenation history

Protein metal-binding sites support essential biological functions shaped by protein fold, subunit interactions, and cofactor chemistry. Because these sites encode both biochemical function and environmental constraint, they offer a route to connect protein evolution with changes in Earth’s surface environment through time. Of particular interest is iron (Fe), the most widely used metal in biology and a cofactor central to both anaerobic and aerobic metabolism. Here, we systematically compare the immediate chemical environments of functionally essential Fe-binding sites in three-dimensional protein structures to test whether Fe coordination spheres differ across oxygen contexts. Using a curated dataset of experimentally determined structures, we identify a clear shift in the local chemistry of Fe-binding environments from anaerobic to aerobic proteins. Aerobic Fe sites are significantly more hydrophilic than anaerobic ones, and amino-acid composition analyses show reduced cysteine use in aerobic Fe-binding neighborhoods. These patterns suggest that as Earth’s surface environments became more oxygenated, proteins retained Fe as a core redox metal while reconfiguring local coordination chemistry in ways less vulnerable to oxidative damage. More broadly, this study introduces and applies the Coordination Sphere Analysis and Comparison (CSAC) workflow, an open and archived Python workflow for extracting local metal-binding environments from structure datasets, providing a framework for linking metalloprotein structure to evolutionary and geobiological transitions across Earth history.

Discover Life↗

Stable isotope geochemistry of acid mine drainage: Experimental oxidation of pyrite

Sulfate and water from experiments in which pyrite was oxidized at a pH of 2.0 were analyzed for sulfur and oxygen stable isotopes. Experiments were conducted under both aerobic and anaerobic sterile conditions, as well as under aerobic conditions in the presence of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, to elucidate the pathways of oxidation. Oxygen isotope fractionation between SO2-4 and H2O varied from +4.0 %. (anaerobic, sterile) to + 18.0 %. (aerobic, with T. ferrooxidans.). The oxygen isotope composition of dissolved oxygen utilized in both chemical and microbially-mediated oxidation was also determined (+11.4 %., by T. ferrooxidans; +18.4 %., chemical). Contributions of water-derived oxygen and dissolved oxygen to the sulfate produced in the oxidation of pyrite could thus be estimated. Water-derived oxygen constituted from 23 to ~ 100 percent of the oxygen in the sulfate produced in the experiments, and this closely approximates the range of contribution in natural acid mine drainage. Oxidation of sulfides in anaerobic, water-saturated environments occurs primarily by chemical oxidation pathways, whereas oxidation of sulfides in well-aerated, unsaturated zone environments occurs dominantly by microbially mediated pathways.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗

Aqueous pyrite oxidation by dissolved oxygen and by ferric iron

Rates of aqueous, abiotic pyrite oxidation were measured in oxygen-saturated and anaerobic Fe(III)-saturated solutions with initial pH from 2 to 9. These studies included analyses of sulfite, thiosulfate, polythionates and sulfate and procedures for cleaning oxidation products from pyrite surfaces were evaluated. Pyrite oxidation in oxygen-saturated solutions produced (1) rates that were only slightly dependent on initial pH, (2) linear increases in sulfoxy anions and (3) thiosulfate and polythionates at pH > 3.9. Intermediate sulfoxy anions were observed only at high stirring rates. In anaerobic Fe(III)-saturated solutions, no intermediates were observed except traces of sulfite at pH 9. The faster rate of oxidation in Fe(III)-saturated solutions supports a reaction mechanism in which Fe(III) is the direct oxidant of pyrite in both aerobic and anaerobic systems. The proposal of this mechanism is also supported by theoretical considerations regarding the low probability of a direct reaction between paramagnetic molecular oxygen and diamagnetic pyrite. Results from a study of sphalerite oxidation support the hypothesis that thiosulfate is a key intermediate in sulfate production, regardless of the bonding structure of the sulfide mineral.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗

Effect of atrazine on potential denitrification in aquifer sediments

Agriculturaf use of fertilizers and herbicides has often resulted in nitrate and atrazine contamination of the shallow aquifers that underlay cultivated fields. In several cases, the concentrations of atrazine and nitrate dissolved in ground water are positively correlated (Spalding ef al., 1979; Chen and Druliner, 1987; Spalding et al., 1989). Because simultaneous application of nitrate fertilizers and the herbicide, atrazine, is common, the co-occurrence of these contaminants in ground water is not entirely unexpected. However, the possibility also exists that this co-occurrence may ret&t interactions of atrazine with nitrate in the subsurface environment. R&ton and Cervelh (1980), McElhannon ei al. (1984) and Mills (1984) have reported that atrazine inhibits denitrification in‘soil’lf this i‘s indeed the case, atrazine contamination may contribute to nitrate preservation and accumulation in anaerobic aquifers by inhibiting denitrification, the principal mechanism for nitrate removal in anaerobic systems. Huwever, the effect of atrazine on the rate of denit~ficat~on in soils remains controversial, because atrazine has been reported variously to enhance denitrification (Cervelli and Ralston, 1983) or to have no effect on denitrification in soils (Bollag and Henninger, 1976; Yeomans and Bremner, IQ85, 1987). Moreover, the effect of dissolved atrazine concentrations on the rate of denitrification in aquifer sediments has not been reported. Our purpose was to determine the elects of dissolved atrazine concentrations on potential rates ofdenitri~~t~on in aquifer sediments from two different agricultural areas to evaluate the hypothesis that, by inhibiting denitrification, atrazine contributes to nitrate preservation in anaerobic aquifer systems.

Soil Biology and Biochemistry↗

The effect of coal bed dewatering and partial oxidation on biogenic methane potential

Coal formation dewatering at a site in the Powder River Basin was associated with enhanced potential for secondary biogenic methane determined by using a bioassay. We hypothesized that dewatering can stimulate microbial activity and increase the bioavailability of coal. We analyzed one dewatered and two water-saturated coals to examine possible ways in which dewatering influences coal bed natural gas biogenesis by looking at differences with respect to the native coal microbial community, coal-methane organic intermediates, and residual coal oxidation potential. Microbial biomass did not increase in response to dewatering. Small Subunit rRNA sequences retrieved from all coals sampled represented members from genera known to be aerobic, anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic. A Bray Curtis similarity analysis indicated that the microbial communities in water-saturated coals were more similar to each other than to the dewatered coal, suggesting an effect of dewatering. There was a higher incidence of long chain and volatile fatty acid intermediates in incubations of the dewatered coal compared to the water-saturated coals, and this could either be due to differences in microbial enzymatic activities or to chemical oxidation of the coal associated with O 2 exposure. Dilute H 2 O 2 treatment of two fractions of structural coal (kerogen and bitumen + kerogen) was used as a proxy for chemical oxidation by O 2 . The dewatered coal had a low residual oxidation potential compared to the water-saturated coals. Oxidation with 5% H 2 O 2 did increase the bioavailability of structural coal, and the increase in residual oxidation potential in the water saturated coals was approximately equivalent to the higher methanogenic potential measured in the dewatered coal. Evidence from this study supports the idea that coal bed dewatering could stimulate biogenic methanogenesis through partial oxidation of the structural organics in coal once anaerobic conditions are restored.

Montana;Wyoming↗

Natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents at Area 6, Dover Air Force Base: Groundwater biogeochemistry

Monitored natural attenuation (MNA) has recently emerged as a viable groundwater remediation technology in the United States. Area 6 at Dover Air Force Base (Dover, DE) was chosen as a test site to examine the potential for MNA of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) in groundwater and aquifer sediments. A "lines of evidence" approach was used to document the occurrence of natural attenuation. Chlorinated hydrocarbon and biogeochemical data were used to develop a site-specific conceptual model where both anaerobic and aerobic biological processes are responsible for the destruction of PCE, TCE, and daughter metabolites. An examination of groundwater biogeochemical data showed a region of depleted dissolved oxygen with elevated dissolved methane and hydrogen concentrations. Reductive dechlorination likely dominated in the anaerobic portion of the aquifer where PCE and TCE levels were observed to decrease with a simultaneous increase in cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), vinyl chloride (VC), ethene, and dissolved chloride. Near the anaerobic/aerobic interface, concentrations of cis-DCE and VC decreased to below detection limits, presumably due to aerobic biotransformation processes. Therefore, the contaminant and daughter product plumes present at the site appear to have been naturally attenuated by a combination of active anaerobic and aerobic biotransformation processes. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Journal of Contaminant Hydrology↗

Monitoring biodegradation of ethene and bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes at a contaminated site using compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA)

Chlorinated ethenes are commonly found in contaminated groundwater. Remediation strategies focus on transformation processes that will ultimately lead to nontoxic products. A major concern with these strategies is the possibility of incomplete dechlorination and accumulation of toxic daughter products (cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE), vinyl chloride (VC)). Ethene mass balance can be used as a direct indicator to assess the effectiveness of dechlorination. However, the microbial processes that affect ethene are not well characterized and poor mass balance may reflect biotransformation of ethene rather than incomplete dechlorination. Microbial degradation of ethene is commonly observed in aerobic systems but fewer cases have been reported in anaerobic systems. Limited information is available on the isotope enrichment factors associated with these processes. Using compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) we determined the enrichment factors associated with microbial degradation of ethene in anaerobic microcosms (ε = −6.7‰ ± 0.4‰, and −4.0‰ ± 0.8‰) from cultures collected from the Twin Lakes wetland area at the Savannah River site in Georgia (United States), and in aerobic microcosms (ε = −3.0‰ ± 0.3‰) from Mycobacterium sp. strain JS60. Under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, CSIA can be used to determine whether biotransformation of ethene is occurring in addition to biodegradation of the chlorinated ethenes. Using δ13C values determined for ethene and for chlorinated ethenes at a contaminated field site undergoing bioremediation, this study demonstrates how CSIA of ethene can be used to reduce uncertainty and risk at a site by distinguishing between actual mass balance deficits during reductive dechlorination and apparent lack of mass balance that is related to biotransformation of ethene.

Environmental Science & Technology↗

Microbial reduction of iodate

The different oxidation species of iodine have markedly different sorption properties. Hence, changes in iodine redox states can greatly affect the mobility of iodine in the environment. Although a major microbial role has been suggested in the past to account for these redox changes, little has been done to elucidate the responsible microorganisms or the mechanisms involved. In the work presented here, direct microbial reduction of iodate was demonstrated with anaerobic cell suspensions of the sulfate reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans which reduced 96% of an initial 100 ??M iodate to iodide at pH 7 in 30 mM NaHCO3 buffer, whereas anaerobic cell suspensions of the dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens were unable to reduce iodate in 30 mM NaHCO3 buffer (pH 7). Both D. desulfuricans and S. putrefaciens were able to reduce iodate at pH 7 in 10 mM HEPES buffer. Both soluble ferrous iron and sulfide, as well as iron monosulfide (FeS) were shown to abiologically reduce iodate to iodide. These results indicate that ferric iron and/or sulfate reducing bacteria are capable of mediating both direct, enzymatic, as well as abiotic reduction of iodate in natural anaerobic environments. These microbially mediated reactions may be important factors in the fate and transport of 129I in natural systems.

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution↗

Oxidation of aromatic contaminants coupled to microbial iron reduction

THE contamination of sub-surface water supplies with aromatic compounds is a significant environmental concern1,2. As these contaminated sub-surface environments are generally anaerobic, the microbial oxidation of aromatic compounds coupled to nitrate reduction, sulphate reduction and methane production has been studied intensively1-7. In addition, geochemical evidence suggests that Fe(III) can be an important electron acceptor for the oxidation of aromatic compounds in anaerobic groundwater. Until now, only abiological mechanisms for the oxidation of aromatic compounds with Fe(III) have been reported8-12. Here we show that in aquatic sediments, microbial activity is necessary for the oxidation of model aromatic compounds coupled to Fe(III) reduction. Furthermore, a pure culture of the Fe(III)-reducing bacterium GS-15 can obtain energy for growth by oxidizing benzoate, toluene, phenol or p-cresol with Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor. These results extend the known physiological capabilities of Fe(III)-reducing organisms and provide the first example of an organism of any type which can oxidize an aromatic hydrocarbon anaerobically.

Nature↗

Subsurface hydrocarbon degradation strategies in low- and high-sulfate coal seam communities identified with activity-based metagenomics

Environmentally relevant metagenomes and BONCAT-FACS derived translationally active metagenomes from Powder River Basin coal seams were investigated to elucidate potential genes and functional groups involved in hydrocarbon degradation to methane in coal seams with high- and low-sulfate levels. An advanced subsurface environmental sampler allowed the establishment of coal-associated microbial communities under in situ conditions for metagenomic analyses from environmental and translationally active populations. Metagenomic sequencing demonstrated that biosurfactants, aerobic dioxygenases, and anaerobic phenol degradation pathways were present in active populations across the sampled coal seams. In particular, results suggested the importance of anaerobic degradation pathways under high-sulfate conditions with an emphasis on fumarate addition. Under low-sulfate conditions, a mixture of both aerobic and anaerobic pathways was observed but with a predominance of aerobic dioxygenases. The putative low-molecular-weight biosurfactant, lichysein, appeared to play a more important role compared to rhamnolipids. The methods used in this study—subsurface environmental samplers in combination with metagenomic sequencing of both total and translationally active metagenomes—offer a deeper and environmentally relevant perspective on community genetic potential from coal seams poised at different redox conditions broadening the understanding of degradation strategies for subsurface carbon.

npj Biofilms and Microbiomes↗

Acetylene as fast food: Implications for development of life on anoxic primordial earth and in the outer solar system

Acetylene occurs, by photolysis of methane, in the atmospheres of jovian planets and Titan. In contrast, acetylene is only a trace component of Earth's current atmosphere. Nonetheless, a methane-rich atmosphere has been hypothesized for early Earth; this atmosphere would also have been rich in acetylene. This poses a paradox, because acetylene is a potent inhibitor of many key anaerobic microbial processes, including methanogenesis, anaerobic methane oxidation, nitrogen fixation, and hydrogen oxidation. Fermentation of acetylene was discovered ∼25 years ago, and Pelobacter acetylenicus was shown to grow on acetylene by virtue of acetylene hydratase, which results in the formation of acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde subsequently dismutates to ethanol and acetate (plus some hydrogen). However, acetylene hydratase is specific for acetylene and does not react with any analogous compounds. We hypothesize that microbes with acetylene hydratase played a key role in the evolution of Earth's early biosphere by exploiting an available source of carbon from the atmosphere and in so doing formed protective niches that allowed for other microbial processes to flourish. Furthermore, the presence of acetylene in the atmosphere of a planet or planetoid could possibly represent evidence for an extraterrestrial anaerobic ecosystem. Astrobiology 8, 45–58.

Astrobiology↗

Natural inactivation of Escherichia coli in anoxic and reduced groundwater

Aims Inactivation rates of E. coli in groundwater have most often been determined in aerobic and oxidized systems. This study examined E. coli inactivation rates in anaerobic and extremely reduced groundwater systems that have been identified as recharge zones. Methods and Results Groundwater from six artesian wells was diverted to above ground, flow through mesocosms that contained laboratory grown E. coli in diffusion chambers. All groundwater was anaerobic and extremely reduced (ORP < - 300 mV). Cells were plated onto mTEC agar during 21 day incubation periods. All data fit a bi-phasic inactivation model, with > 95% of the E. coli population being inactivated < 11.0 hrs (mean k = 0.488&plusmn; 0.188 h &minus;1 ). Conclusions The groundwater geochemical conditions enhanced the inactivation of E. coli to rates approximately 21-fold greater than previously published inactivation rate in groundwater (mean k = 0.023 &plusmn; 0.030 h &minus;1 ). Also, mTEC agar inhibits E. coli growth following exposure to anaerobic and reduced groundwater. Significance and Impact of the Study Aquifer recharge zones with geochemical characteristics observed in this study complement above ground engineered processes (e.g., filtration, disinfection), while increasing the overall indicator microorganism log-reduction rate of a facility.

Journal of Applied Microbiology↗