TY - JOUR
T1 - Intimate microbe-water-mineral interactions mediate alkalization in the pyroxene-rich iron ore mines in Panxi area, Southwest China
AU - He, Yu
AU - Li, Yongzhe
AU - Pan, Yue
AU - Shang, Jianying
AU - Sun, Weimin
AU - Wang, Meng
AU - Fan, Hao
AU - Sanford, Robert A.
AU - Wei, Na
AU - Peng, Shuming
AU - Xie, Daihong
AU - Zhang, Weiguang
AU - Chen, Shulin
AU - Liu, Yong
AU - Jiang, Zhou
AU - Jiang, Yongguang
AU - Hu, Yidan
AU - Li, Shuyi
AU - Hu, Na
AU - Dong, Yiran
AU - Shi, Liang
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2024/12/5
Y1 - 2024/12/5
N2 - In contrast to acid mine drainage, the microbial assembly and (bio)geochemical processes in alkaline mine conditions remain under-investigated. Here, microbe-water-mineral interactions were systematically investigated in two representative iron mines with alkaline conditions in the Panxi mining area, Southwest China. Compared to reference riverine samples less interfered by mining activities, the iron ore samples, composed of vanadium-titanium magnetite and pyroxene-rich bedrocks, exhibited elevated levels of Fe, HCl-extractable Fe(II), total sulfur, nitrate and sulfate, but lower total carbon (TC). Meanwhile, the mine drainage showed significantly higher sulfate, but lower TC concentrations than the riverine samples. Intriguingly, the Serpentinimonas spp., typically reported in serpentinites, prevailed in the microbial communities from the mine samples exhibiting higher pH. This suggests that the alkaline environments in Panxi mines result from serpentinization-like reactions. Enrichment of Thiobacillus spp. was observed in the mine-dwelling microbial communities, positively correlated with total sulfur, sulfate, nitrate, and Fe(II). Genome-resolved metagenomics suggested a chemoautotrophic lifestyle for the Thiobacillus species (e.g., carbon fixation, sulfur oxidation, and oxygen respiration), which may generate H+ and mitigate alkalization. This study provides valuable insights into progressive development of alkaline mine ecosystems and offers guidance for developing appropriate engineering strategies to restore the abandoned alkaline mines.
AB - In contrast to acid mine drainage, the microbial assembly and (bio)geochemical processes in alkaline mine conditions remain under-investigated. Here, microbe-water-mineral interactions were systematically investigated in two representative iron mines with alkaline conditions in the Panxi mining area, Southwest China. Compared to reference riverine samples less interfered by mining activities, the iron ore samples, composed of vanadium-titanium magnetite and pyroxene-rich bedrocks, exhibited elevated levels of Fe, HCl-extractable Fe(II), total sulfur, nitrate and sulfate, but lower total carbon (TC). Meanwhile, the mine drainage showed significantly higher sulfate, but lower TC concentrations than the riverine samples. Intriguingly, the Serpentinimonas spp., typically reported in serpentinites, prevailed in the microbial communities from the mine samples exhibiting higher pH. This suggests that the alkaline environments in Panxi mines result from serpentinization-like reactions. Enrichment of Thiobacillus spp. was observed in the mine-dwelling microbial communities, positively correlated with total sulfur, sulfate, nitrate, and Fe(II). Genome-resolved metagenomics suggested a chemoautotrophic lifestyle for the Thiobacillus species (e.g., carbon fixation, sulfur oxidation, and oxygen respiration), which may generate H+ and mitigate alkalization. This study provides valuable insights into progressive development of alkaline mine ecosystems and offers guidance for developing appropriate engineering strategies to restore the abandoned alkaline mines.
KW - Alkaline conditions
KW - Iron mines
KW - Metagenomics
KW - Microbe-water-mineral interactions
KW - Serpentinimonas
KW - Thiobacillus
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136127
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136127
M3 - Article
C2 - 39405720
AN - SCOPUS:85206115545
SN - 0304-3894
VL - 480
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
M1 - 136127
ER -