The role of anaerobic bacteria in the neutralization of acid mine drainage. [Desulfovibrio]

Miscellaneous · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6969309

Bell, P E

In contrast to the acidic water column, the sediments underlying Lake Anna, which receives acid mine drainage, are circumneutral and contain 1-4 meq alkalinity/L. Indirect fluorescent antibody counts of a methanogen (strain CA) and a sulfate reducer (Desulfovibrio strain SM) demonstrated that these organisms were present in the sediments at numbers of approximately 10{sup 6} bacteria/mL sediment. Anaerobic heterotrophs in the sediments underlying the acidified arm of the lake outnumbered anaerobic heterotrophs in a non-acidified arm of the lake. A major storm event resulted in the deposition of 11 cm of oxidized, acidic new sediment material over the older circumneutral sediments. The Eh in the new sediments decreased by 200 mV within one week after the storm event. The pH and alkalinity increased even in the 1-cm layer by two weeks after the storm and products of sulfate reduction (acid volatile sulfide) increased at three weeks after the storm. This suggests that biological processes other than sulfate reduction were responsible for the initial buffering of these sediments. Laboratory experiments using the sulfate reducer and two anaerobes (also isolated from the sediments) suggested that alkalinity production during sulfate reduction decreases with decreasing carbon concentration. Generation of alkalinity was found not to be a simple function of sulfate reduction or of iron reduction. The generation of alkalinity was found to be a function of the carbon source, and concentration, organisms present, and mineral phase formed. Iron reduction rates in the sediments of Contrary Creek ranged from 4.9-27.8 mM/m{sup 2}-sediment-day. Alkalinity was produced in the floc layer in the absence of sulfate reduction. Iron reduction could be responsible for the mineralization of 15-90% of the carbon input to this system.

• Research Organization: Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6969309
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
BIODEGRADATION
SEDIMENTS
ACID NEUTRALIZING CAPACITY
DESULFOVIBRIO
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
IRON
LAKES
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
BACTERIA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
INFORMATION
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
NUMERICAL DATA
SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER CHEMISTRY
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects