Algal and bacterial activities in acidic (pH 3) strip mine lakes
Reservoir 29 and Lake B are extremely acid lakes (epilimnion pHs of 2.7 and 3.2, respectively), because they receive acidic discharges from coal refuse piles. They differ in that the pH of profundal sediments in Reservoir 29 increased from 2.7 to 3.8 during the period of thermal stratification, whereas permanently anoxic sediments in Lake B had a pH of 6.2. The pH rise in Reservoir 29 sediments was correlated with a temporal increase in H/sub 2/S concentration in the anaerobic hypolimnion from 0 to >1 mM. The chlorophyll a levels in the epilimnion of Reservoir 29 were low, and the rate of primary production was typical of an oligotrophic system. However, there was a dense 10-cm layer of algal biomass at the bottom of the metalimnion. Production by this layer was low owing to light limitation and possibly H/sub 2/S toxicity. The specific photosynthetic rates of epilimnetic algae were low, which suggests that nutrient availability is more important than pH in limiting production. The highest photosynthetic rates were obtained in water samples incubated at pH 2.7 to 4. Heterotrophic bacterial activity (measured by (/sup 14/C)glucose metabolism) was greatest at the sediment/water interface. Bacterial production (assayed by thymidine incorporation) was as high in Reservoir 29 as in a nonacid mesotrophic Indiana lake.
- Research Organization:
- Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN
- OSTI ID:
- 6006312
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 53:9
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Depth distribution of bacterial production in a stratified lake with an anoxic hypolimnion
Changes in Sedimentary Phosphorus Burial Following Artificial Eutrophication of Lake 227, Experimental Lakes Area, Ontario, Canada
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALGAE
PRODUCTIVITY
BACTERIA
COAL MINING
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
TOXICITY
LAKES
ACIDIFICATION
CHLOROPHYLL
GLUCOSE
PH VALUE
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
SEDIMENTS
SURFACE MINING
ALDEHYDES
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HEXOSES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
MINING
MONOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHYTOCHROMES
PIGMENTS
PLANTS
PORPHYRINS
PROTEINS
SACCHARIDES
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
SYNTHESIS
010900* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550501 - Metabolism- Tracer Techniques