School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Microb Biotechnol. 2020 Nov;13(6):1960-1971. doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.13646. Epub 2020 Aug 19.
Accelerating microbial iron cycling is an innovative environmentally responsible strategy for mine remediation. In the present study, we extend the application of microbial iron cycling in environmental remediation, to include biocementation for the aggregation and stabilization of mine wastes. Microbial iron reduction was promoted monthly for 10 months in crushed canga (a by-product from iron ore mining, dominated by crystalline iron oxides) in 1 m containers. Ferrous iron concentrations reached 445 ppm in treatments and diverse lineages of the candidate phyla radiation dominated pore waters, implicating them in fermentation and/or metal cycling in this system. After a 6-month evaporation period, iron-rich cements had formed between grains and 20-cm aggregates were recoverable from treatments throughout the 1-m depth profile, while material from untreated and water-only controls remained unconsolidated. Canga-adapted plants seeded into one of the treatments germinated and grew well. Therefore, application of this geobiotechnology offers promise for stabilization of mine wastes, as well as re-formation of surface crusts that underpin unique and threatened plant ecosystems in iron ore regions.
加速微生物铁循环是一种创新的、对环境负责的矿山修复策略。在本研究中，我们将微生物铁循环在环境修复中的应用扩展到包括生物胶结作用，以聚集和稳定矿山废物。在 1 米容器中，粉碎的铁帽（铁矿石开采的副产品，主要由结晶氧化铁组成）每月促进微生物铁还原 10 个月。处理中达到 445ppm 的亚铁浓度，候选门辐射的不同谱系在孔隙水中占主导地位，暗示它们在该系统中进行发酵和/或金属循环。经过 6 个月的蒸发期，铁丰富的水泥已经在颗粒之间形成，并且可以从整个 1 米深度剖面的处理中回收 20 厘米的团聚体，而未经处理和仅用水的对照材料仍未固结。接种到其中一个处理中的铁帽适应植物发芽并生长良好。因此，该地球生物技术的应用有望稳定矿山废物，并重新形成支撑铁矿石地区独特和受威胁植物生态系统的表面结壳。
