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Title: Algal and bacterial activities in acidic (pH 3) strip mine lakes

Abstract

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 asmore » high in Reservoir 29 as in a nonacid mesotrophic Indiana lake.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN
OSTI Identifier:
6006312
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 53:9
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; 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

Citation Formats

Gyure, R A, Konopka, A, Brooks, A, and Doemel, W. Algal and bacterial activities in acidic (pH 3) strip mine lakes. United States: N. p., 1987. Web.
Gyure, R A, Konopka, A, Brooks, A, & Doemel, W. Algal and bacterial activities in acidic (pH 3) strip mine lakes. United States.
Gyure, R A, Konopka, A, Brooks, A, and Doemel, W. 1987. "Algal and bacterial activities in acidic (pH 3) strip mine lakes". United States.
@article{osti_6006312,
title = {Algal and bacterial activities in acidic (pH 3) strip mine lakes},
author = {Gyure, R A and Konopka, A and Brooks, A and Doemel, W},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6006312}, journal = {Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 53:9,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987},
month = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987}
}