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At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
USGS1999

Effects of dynamic redox zonation on the potential for natural attenuation of trichloroethylene at a fire-training-impacted aquifer

Hydrogeochemical and microbiological methods were used to characterize temporal changes along a transect of an aquifer contaminated by mixed hydrocarbon and solvent wastes from fire training activities at Wurtsmith Air Force Base (Oscoda, MI). Predominant terminal electron accepting processes (TEAPs) as measured by dissolved hydrogen indicated reoxygenation along the transect between October 1995 and October 1996, possibly because of recharge, fluctuations in water table elevation, or microbial activity. Microbiological analyses using universal and archaeal probes revealed a relationship between groundwater hydrogen concentration, TEAP, and predominant bacterial phylogeny. Specifically, a raised water table level and evidence of methanogenesis corresponded to an order of magnitude increase in archaeal 16S rRNA relative to when this zone was unsaturated. Spatial microbial and geochemical dynamics did not result in measurable differences in trichloroethylene (TCE) mineralization potential in vadose, capillary fringe, and saturated zone soils during a 500-day microcosm experiment using unprocessed contaminated soil and groundwater. Aerobic systems indicated that methane, but not toluene, may serve as cosubstrate for TCE cometabolism. Anaerobic microcosms demonstrated evidence for methanogenesis, CO2 production and hydrogen consumption, yet dechlorination activity was only observed in a microcosm with sulfate-reduction as the dominant TEAP. Mass balance calculations indicated less than 5% mineralization, regardless of redox zone or degree of saturation, at maximum rates of 0.01-0.03 ??mol/g soil??d. The general lack of dechlorination activity under laboratory conditions corroborates the limited evidence for natural dechlorination at this site, despite abundant electron donor material and accumulated organic acids from microbial degradation of alkylbenzenes. Thus, the short-term temporal dynamics in redox conditions is unlikely to have measurable effects on the long-term natural remediation potential of the aquifer.

Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Part B: Hydrol↗
USGS2026

Low pH exposure alters mediator-dependent response in poly(o-phenylenediamine)-based molecularly imprinted polymer electrochemical sensors (MIP-ES)

Molecularly imprinted polymer electrochemical sensors (MIP-ES) are a promising approach for detecting less electrochemically active contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, exposure of poly( o -phenylenediamine) [poly( o -PD)]-based MIP films to strongly acidic conditions can alter the polymer environment and complicate the interpretation of electron mediator based electrochemical readout. In this study, we examined how low pH exposure influences the response of the anionic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) templated poly( o -PD) MIP-ES by comparing four commonly used electron mediators with different charge states: ferrocenemethanol, ferrocyanide, ferricyanide, and hexaammineruthenium(III). Apparent association constants ( K A ) and maximum PFOA-dependent current differences (Δ i max ) derived from a fractional response two-parameter Langmuir binding isotherm model, together with ratiometric comparisons of normalized current differences, showed that mediator-dependent trends changed after acidic pH exposure of the polymer. The anionic mediators, ferrocyanide and ferricyanide, exhibited the largest increases in apparent K A and Δ i max , whereas the neutral mediator, ferrocenemethanol, retained a similar apparent K A but exhibited a lower fitted response amplitude. Hexaammineruthenium(III) produced substantial variability that limited Langmuir isotherm interpretation. These results are consistent with the interpretation that changes in the protonation state of the poly( o -PD) film influence mediator access and interactions within the sensing environment, thereby biasing the mediator-based current response. Overall, this work highlights that mediator choice can strongly affect the apparent performance of poly( o -PD)-based MIP-ES after exposure to low pH and should be considered carefully when interpreting sensor response under challenging conditions.

Analytical Chemistry↗
USGS2017

Acetylene fuels TCE reductive dechlorination by defined Dehalococcoides / Pelobacter consortia

Acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) can be generated in contaminated groundwater sites as a consequence of chemical degradation of trichloroethene (TCE) by in situ minerals, and C 2 H 2 is known to inhibit bacterial dechlorination. In this study, we show that while high C 2 H 2 (1.3 mM) concentrations reversibly inhibit reductive dechlorination of TCE by Dehalococcoides mccartyi isolates as well as enrichment cultures containing D. mccartyi sp., low C 2 H 2 (0.4 mM) concentrations do not inhibit growth or metabolism of D. mccartyi . Cocultures of Pelobacter SFB93, a C 2 H 2 -fermenting bacterium, with D. mccartyi strain 195 or with D. mccartyi strain BAV1 were actively sustained by providing acetylene as the electron donor and carbon source while TCE or cis -DCE served as the electron acceptor. Inhibition by acetylene of reductive dechlorination and methanogenesis in the enrichment culture ANAS was observed, and the inhibition was removed by adding Pelobacter SFB93 into the consortium. Transcriptomic analysis of D. mccartyi strain 195 showed genes encoding for reductive dehalogenases (e.g., tceA ) were not affected during the C 2 H 2 -inhibition, while genes encoding for ATP synthase, biosynthesis, and Hym hydrogenase were down-regulated during C 2 H 2 inhibition, consistent with the physiological observation of lower cell yields and reduced dechlorination rates in strain 195. These results will help facilitate the optimization of TCE-bioremediation at contaminated sites containing both TCE and C 2 H 2 .

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2011

A novel photosynthetic strategy for adaptation to low-iron aquatic environments

Iron (Fe) availability is a major limiting factor for primary production in aquatic environments. Cyanobacteria respond to Fe deficiency by derepressing the isiAB operon, which encodes the antenna protein IsiA and flavodoxin. At nanomolar Fe concentrations, a PSI−IsiA supercomplex forms, comprising a PSI trimer encircled by two complete IsiA rings. This PSI−IsiA supercomplex is the largest photosynthetic membrane protein complex yet isolated. This study presents a detailed characterization of this complex using transmission electron microscopy and ultrafast fluorescence spectroscopy. Excitation trapping and electron transfer are highly efficient, allowing cyanobacteria to avoid oxidative stress. This mechanism may be a major factor used by cyanobacteria to successfully adapt to modern low-Fe environments.

Biochemistry↗
USGS2002

An unusual occurrence of arsenic-bearing pyrite in the Upper Freeport coal bed, West-Central Pennsylvania

Scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis were used to identify a rare type of As-bearing pyrite in selected specific gravity separates from the Pennsylvanian age Upper Freeport coal bed, west-central Pennsylvania. Arsenic was detected mainly in cell-wall replacement pyrite where concentrations ranged from nondetectable to 1.9 wt %. Although the majority of arsenic-bearing pyrite in the Upper Freeport coal bed is concentrated in massive and late diagenetic pyrite morphologies, the rarer As-bearing cell-replacement pyrite was observed in both light and heavy gravity separates from the three coal facies examined. Arsenic was occasionally detected in cell-filling replacement pyrite, but this As appears to be an artifact produced by signals from underlying and/or adjacent As-bearing cell-wall replacement pyrite. It is postulated that some plants of the Upper Freeport paleoswamp may have biomethylated As, which later could have been converted to dimethylarsine or other volatile organoarsenic compounds by either biologically or chemically driven processes. Once liberated, the arsenic may have been incorporated into pyrite during pyritization of the cell walls. The As incorporation occurred early, before significant compaction of the peat, because the pyritized cell walls are not compacted.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1997

Unified mechanism of alkali and alkaline earth catalyzed gasification reactions of carbon by CO2 and H2O

From molecular orbital calculations, a unified mechanism is proposed for the gasification reactions of graphite by CO 2 and H 2 O, both uncatalyzed and catalyzed by alkali and alkaline earth catalysts. In this mechanism, there are two types of oxygen intermediates that are bonded to the active edge carbon atoms: an in-plane semiquinone type, C f (O), and an off-plane oxygen bonded to two saturated carbon atoms that are adjacent to the semiquinone species, C(O)C f (O). The rate-limiting step is the decomposition of these intermediates by breaking the C−C bonds that are connected to C f (O). A new rate equation is derived for the uncatalyzed reactions, and that for the catalyzed reactions is readily available from the proposed mechanism. The proposed mechanism can account for several unresolved experimental observations: TPD and TK (transient kinetics) desorption results of the catalyzed systems, the similar activation energies for the uncatalyzed and catalyzed reactions, and the relative activities of the alkali and alkaline earth elements. The net charge of the edge carbon active site is substantially changed by gaining electron density from the alkali or alkaline earth element (by forming C−O−M, where M stands for metal). The relative catalytic activities of these elements can be correlated with their abilities of donating electrons and changing the net charge of the edge carbon atom. As shown previously (Chen, S. G.; Yang, R. T. J . Catal . 1993 , 141 , 102), only clusters of the alkali compounds are active. This derives from the ability of the clusters to dissociate CO 2 and H 2 O to form O atoms and the mobility of the dissociated O atoms facilitated by the clusters.

Energy and Fuels↗
USGS2000

Mobilization of arsenite by dissimilatory reduction of adsorbed arsenate

Sulfurospirillum barnesii is capable of anaerobic growth using ferric iron or arsenate as electron acceptors. Cell suspensions of S. barnesii were able to reduce arsenate to arsenite when the former oxyanion was dissolved in solution, or when it was adsorbed onto the surface of ferrihydrite, a common soil mineral, by a variety of mechanisms (e.g., coprecipitation, presorption). Reduction of Fe(III) in ferrihydrite to soluble Fe(II) also occurred, but dissolution of ferrihydrite was not required in order for adsorbed arsenate reduction to be achieved. This was illustrated by bacterial reduction of arsenate coprecipitated with aluminum hydroxide, a mineral that does not undergo reductive dissolution. The rate of arsenate reduction was influenced by the method in which arsenate became associated with the mineral phases and may have been strongly coupled with arsenate desorption rates. The extent of release of arsenite into solution was governed by adsorption of arsenite onto the ferrihydrite or alumina phases. The results of these experiments have interpretive significance to the mobilization of arsenic in large alluvial aquifers, such as those of the Ganges in India and Bangladesh, and in the hyporheic zones of contaminated streams.Sulfurospirillum barnesii is capable of anaerobic growth using ferric iron or arsenate as electron acceptors. Cell suspensions of S. barnesii were able to reduce arsenate to arsenite when the former oxyanion was dissolved in solution, or when it was adsorbed onto the surface of ferrihydrite a common soil mineral, by a variety of mechanisms (e.g., coprecipitation, presorption). Reduction of Fe(III) in ferrihydrite to soluble Fe(II) also occurred, but dissolution of ferrihydrite was not required in order for adsorbed arsenate reduction to be achieved. This was illustrated by bacterial reduction of arsenate coprecipitated with aluminum hydroxide, a mineral that does not undergo reductive dissolution. The rate of arsenate reduction was influenced by the method in which arsenate became associated with the mineral phases and may have been strongly coupled with arsenate desorption rates. The extent of release of arsenite into solution was governed by adsorption of arsenite onto the ferrihydrite or alumina phases. The results of these experiments have interpretive significance to the mobilization of arsenic in large alluvial aquifers, such as those of the Ganges in India and Bangladesh, and in the hyporheic zones of contaminated streams.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2000

In situ stimulation of groundwater denitrification with formate to remediate nitrate contamination

In situ stimulation of denitrification has been proposed as a mechanism to remediate groundwater nitrate contamination. In this study, sodium formate was added to a sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, MA, to test whether formate could serve as a potential electron donor for subsurface denitrification. During 16- and 10-day trials, groundwater from an anoxic nitrate-containing zone (0.5-1.5 mM) was continuously withdrawn, amended with formate and bromide, and pumped back into the aquifer. Concentrations of groundwater constituents were monitored in multilevel samplers after up to 15 m of transport by natural gradient flow. Nitrate and formate concentrations were decreased 80-100% and 60-70%, respectively, with time and subsequent travel distance, while nitrite concentrations inversely increased. The field experiment breakthrough curves were simulated with a two-dimensional site-specific model that included transport, denitrification, and microbial growth. Initial values for model parameters were obtained from laboratory incubations with aquifer core material and then refined to fit field breakthrough curves. The model and the lab results indicated that formate-enhanced nitrite reduction was nearly 4-fold slower than nitrate reduction, but in the lab, nitrite was completely consumed with sufficient exposure time. Results of this study suggest that a long-term injection of formate is necessary to test the remediation potential of this approach for nitrate contamination and that adaptation to nitrite accumulation will be a key determinative factor.In situ stimulation of denitrification has been proposed as a mechanism to remediate groundwater nitrate contamination. In this study, sodium formate was added to a sand and gravel aquifer on Cape Cod, MA, to test whether formate could serve as a potential electron donor for subsurface denitrification. During 16- and 10-day trials, groundwater from an anoxic nitrate-containing zone (0.5-1.5 mM) was continuously withdrawn, amended with formate and bromide, and pumped back into the aquifer. Concentrations of groundwater constituents were monitored in multilevel samplers after up to 15 m of transport by natural gradient flow. Nitrate and formate concentrations were decreased 80-100% and 60-70%, respectively, with time and subsequent travel distance, while nitrite concentrations inversely increased. The field experiment breakthrough curves were simulated with a two-dimensional site-specific model that included transport, denitrification, and microbial growth. Initial values for model parameters were obtained from laboratory incubations with aquifer core material and then refined to fit field breakthrough curves. The model and the lab results indicated that formate-enhanced nitrite reduction was nearly 4-fold slower than nitrate reduction, but in the lab, nitrite was completely consumed with sufficient exposure time. Results of this study suggest that a long-term injection of formate is necessary to test the remediation potential of this approach for nitrate contamination and that adaptation to nitrite accumulation will be a key determinative factor.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2002

TBA biodegradation in surface-water sediments under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

The potential for [U-14C] TBA biodegradation was examined in laboratory microcosms under a range of terminal electron accepting conditions. TBA mineralization to CO2 was substantial in surface-water sediments under oxic, denitrifying, or Mn(IV)-reducing conditions and statistically significant but low under SO4-reducing conditions. Thus, anaerobic TBA biodegradation may be a significant natural attenuation mechanism for TBA in the environment, and stimulation of in situ TBA bioremediation by addition of suitable terminal electron acceptors may be feasible. No degradation of [U-14C] TBA was observed under methanogenic or Fe(III)-reducing conditions.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2006

Hyporheic exchange and fulvic acid redox reactions in an alpine stream/wetland ecosystem, Colorado front range

The influence of hyporheic zone interactions on the redox state of fulvic acids and other redox active species was investigated in an alpine stream and adjacent wetland, which is a more reducing environment. A tracer injection experiment using bromide (Br - ) was conducted in the stream system. Simulations with a transport model showed that rates of exchange between the stream and hyporheic zone were rapid (α ≈ 10 - 3 s -1 ). Parallel factor analysis of fluorescence spectra was used to quantify the redox state of dissolved fulvic acids. The rate coefficient for oxidation of reduced fulvic acids (λ = 6.5 × 10 - 3 s -1 ) in the stream indicates that electron-transfer reactions occur over short time scales. The rate coefficients for decay of ammonium (λ = 1.2 × 10 - 3 s -1 ) and production of nitrate (λ = −1.0 × 10 - 3 s -1 ) were opposite in sign but almost equal in magnitude. Our results suggest that fulvic acids are involved in rapid electron-transfer processes in and near the stream channel and may be important in determining ecological energy flow at the catchment scale.

Colorado↗
USGS2013

Microbiological reduction of Sb(V) in anoxic freshwater sediments

Microbiological reduction of millimolar concentrations of Sb(V) to Sb(III) was observed in anoxic sediments from two freshwater settings: (1) a Sb- and As-contaminated mine site (Stibnite Mine) in central Idaho and 2) an uncontaminated suburban lake (Searsville Lake) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rates of Sb(V) reduction in anoxic sediment microcosms and enrichment cultures were enhanced by amendment with lactate or acetate as electron donors but not by H2, and no reduction occurred in sterilized controls. Addition of 2- 14 C-acetate to Stibnite Mine microcosms resulted in the production of 14 CO 2 coupled to Sb(V) reduction, suggesting that this process proceeds by a dissimilatory respiratory pathway in those sediments. Antimony(V) reduction in Searsville Lake sediments was not coupled to acetate mineralization and may be associated with Sb-resistance. The microcosms and enrichment cultures also reduced sulfate, and the precipitation of insoluble Sb(III)-sulfide complexes was a major sink for reduced Sb. The reduction of Sb(V) by Stibnite Mine sediments was inhibited by As(V), suggesting that As(V) is a preferred electron acceptor for the indigenous community. These findings indicate a novel pathway for anaerobic microbiological respiration and suggest that communities capable of reducing high concentrations of Sb(V) commonly occur naturally in the environment.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2008

Relating carbon monoxide photoproduction to dissolved organic matter functionality

Aqueous solutions of humic substances (HSs) and pure monomeric aromatics were irradiated to investigate the chemical controls upon carbon monoxide (CO) photoproduction from dissolved organic matter (DOM). HSs were isolated from lakes, rivers, marsh, and ocean. Inclusion of humic, fulvic, hydrophobic organic, and hydrophilic organic acid fractions from these environments provided samples diverse in source and isolation protocol. In spite of these major differences, HS absorption coefficients (a) and photoreactivities (a bleaching and CO production) were strongly dependent upon HS aromaticity ( r 2 >0.90; n = 11), implying aromatic moieties are the principal chromophores and photoreactants within HSs, and by extension, DOM. Carbonyl carbon and CO photoproduction were not correlated, implying that carbonyl moieties are not quantitatively important in CO photoproduction. CO photoproduction efficiency of aqueous solutions of monomeric aromatic compounds that are common constituents of organic matter varied with the nature of ring substituents. Specifically, electron donating groups increased, while electron withdrawing groups decreased CO photoproductivity, supporting our conclusion that carbonyl substituents are not quantitatively important in CO photoproduction. Significantly, aromatic CO photoproduction efficiency spanned 3 orders of magnitude, indicating that variations in the CO apparent quantum yields of natural DOM may be related to variations in aromatic DOM substituent group chemistry.

Environmental Science and Technology↗
USGS1996

Anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation in petroleum-contaminated harbor sediments under sulfate-reducing and artificially imposed iron-reducing conditions

The potential use of iron(III) oxide to stimulate in-situ hydrocarbon degradation in anaerobic petroleum-contaminated harbor sediments was investigated. Previous studies have indicated that Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (FeRB) can oxidize some electron donors more effectively than sulfate- reducing bacteria (SRB). In contrast to previous results in freshwater sediments, the addition of Fe(III) to marine sediments from San Diego Bay, CA did not switch the terminal electron-accepting process (TEAP) from sulfate reduction to Fe-(III) reduction. Addition of Fe(III) also did not stimulate anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidation. Exposure of the sediment to air [to reoxidize Fe(II) to Fe(III)] followed by anaerobic incubation of the sediments, resulted in Fe-(III) reduction as the TEAP, but contaminant degradation was not stimulated and in some instances was inhibited. The difference in the ability of FeRB to compete with the SRB in the different sediment treatments was related to relative population sizes. Although the addition of Fe(III) did not stimulate hydrocarbon degradation, the results presented here as well as other recent studies demonstrate that there may be significant anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation under sulfate-reducing conditions in harbor sediments.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2012

The nature of the pressure-induced metallization of FeO and its implications to the core-mantle boundary

The pressure and temperature-induced metallization of FeO discovered by Knittle et al [1986] is here argued to result from a Mott transition associated with increased Fe(3d)-Fe(3d) orbital overlap at high pressures. The metallic bonding in the Fe(3d) t 2g band may account for the 4% volume decrease of FeO associated with the metallization transition. If so, a structural change (B1→B2 or B1→B8) or spin-pairing transition may not need to be invoked to explain the high pressure phase transition in FeO. Below the Neel temperature of FeO, antiferromagnetic ordering of Fe spins forces the Fe (t 2g ) electrons to be localized. Since the Neel temperature increases with pressure, no metallization transition of FeO was observed by Yagi et al. [1985] in their high-pressure measurements at 300K. Neither (Mg, Fe)O and (Mg,Fe)SiO 3 can undergo a Mott transition at high pressure and temperature. Consequently, it is here argued that a lower mantle containing only these phases should be electrically insulating. Finally, the formation of itinerant d-electrons in FeO may be a necessary, if not sufficient, condition for the apparent alloying of FeO with Fe. Such alloying may allow oxygen to be incorporated into the outer core.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS1987

Anaerobic production of magnetite by a dissimilatory iron-reducing microorganism

The potential contribution of microbial metabolism to the magnetization of sediments has only recently been recognized. In the presence of oxygen, magnetotactic bacteria can form intracellular chains of magnetite while using oxygen or nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor for metabolism 1 . The production of ultrafine-grained magnetite by magnetotactic bacteria in surficial aerobic sediments may contribute significantly to the natural remanent magnetism of sediments 2–4 . However, recent studies on iron reduction in anaerobic sediments suggested that bacteria can also generate magnetite in the absence of oxygen 5 . We report here on a sediment organism, designated GS-15, which produces copious quantities of ultrafine-grained magnetite under anaerobic conditions. GS-15 is not magnetotactic, but reduces amorphic ferric oxide to extracellular magnetite during the reduction of ferric iron as the terminal electron acceptor for organic matter oxidation. This novel metabolism may be the mechanism for the formation of ultrafine-grained magnetite in anaerobic sediments, and could account for the accumulation of magnetite in ancient iron formations and hydrocarbon deposits.

Nature↗
USGS1989

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↗
USGS1991

Microbial production of organic acids in aquitard sediments and its role in aquifer geochemistry

Microbial activity in aquifers plays an important part in the chemical evolution of ground water 1–5 . The most important terminal electron-accepting microbial processes in deeply buried anaerobic aquifers are iron reduction, sulphate reduction and methanogenesis 5–8 , each of which requires simple organic compounds or hydrogen (H 2 ) as electron donors. Until now, the source of these compounds was unknown because the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and sedimentary organic carbon in aquifers are extremely low 9–11 . Here we show that rates of microbial fermentation exceed rates of respiration in organic-rich aquitards (low-permeability sediments stratigraphically adjacent to higher-permeability aquifer sediments), resulting in a net accumulation of simple organic acids in pore waters. In aquifers, however, respiration outpaces fermentation, resulting in a net consumption of organic acids. The concentration gradient that develops in response to these two processes drives a net diffusive flux of organic acids from aquitards to aquifers. Diffusion calculations demonstrate that rates of organic acid transport are sufficient to account for observed rates of microbial respiration in aquifers. This overall process effectively links the large pool of sedimentary organic carbon in aquitards to microbial respiration in aquifers, and is a principal mechanism driving groundwater chemistry changes in aquifers.

Nature↗
USGS1991

Microbial reduction of uranium

Reduction of the soluble, oxidized form of uranium, U(VI), to insoluble U(IV) is an important mechanism for the immobilization of uranium in aquatic sediments and for the formation of some uranium ores 1–10 . U(VI) reduction has generally been regarded as an abiological reaction in which sulphide, molecular hydrogen or organic compounds function as the reductant 1,2,5,11 . Microbial involvement in U(VI) reduction has been considered to be limited to indirect effects, such as microbial metabolism providing the reduced compounds for abiological U(VI) reduction and microbial cell walls providing a surface to stimulate abiological U(VI) reduction 1,12,13 . We report here, however, that dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms can obtain energy for growth by electron transport to U(VI). This novel form of microbial metabolism can be much faster than commonly cited abiological mechanisms for U(VI) reduction. Not only do these findings expand the known potential terminal electron acceptors for microbial energy transduction, they offer a likely explanation for the deposition of uranium in aquatic sediments and aquifers, and suggest a method for biological remediation of environments contaminated with uranium.

Nature↗