Pyrite (FeS ) is the most abundant sulfide mineral on Earth and represents a significant reservoir of reduced iron and sulfur both today and in the geologic past. In modern environments, oxidative transformations of pyrite and other metal sulfides play a key role in terrestrial element partitioning with broad impacts to contaminant mobility and the formation of acid mine drainage systems. Although the role of aerobic micro-organisms in pyrite oxidation under acidic-pH conditions is well known, to date there is very little known about the capacity for aerobic micro-organisms to oxidize pyrite at circumneutral pH. Here, we describe two enrichment cultures, obtained from pyrite-bearing subsurface sediments, that were capable of sustained cell growth linked to pyrite oxidation and sulfate generation at neutral pH. The cultures were dominated by two Rhizobiales species (Bradyrhizobium sp. and Mesorhizobium sp.) and a Ralstonia species. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and genome reconstruction indicated the presence of Fe and S oxidation pathways in these organisms, and the presence of a complete Calvin-Benson-Bassham CO fixation system in the Bradyrhizobium sp. Oxidation of pyrite resulted in thin (30-50 nm) coatings of amorphous Fe(III) oxide on the pyrite surface, with no other secondary Fe or S phases detected by electron microscopy or X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Rates of microbial pyrite oxidation were approximately one order of magnitude higher than abiotic rates. These results demonstrate the ability of aerobic microbial activity to accelerate pyrite oxidation and expand the potential contribution of micro-organisms to continental sulfide mineral weathering around the time of the Great Oxidation Event to include neutral-pH environments. In addition, our findings have direct implications for the geochemistry of modern sedimentary environments, including stimulation of the early stages of acid mine drainage formation and mobilization of pyrite-associated metals.

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The possibility of enhancing the selectivity to separate the alkali metal ions was studied by loading dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) in Li(+), Na(+), K(+), and Cs(+) form of cation exchange membrane, Nafion-117 (M-Naf-Cr where M = Li, Na, K, and Cs). DB18C6 was incorporated in Nafion-117 in corresponding ionic forms. Presence of DB18C6 in Nafion-117 was confirmed by FTIR. Self-diffusion and ion exchange kinetics of the alkali metal ions were studied in these membranes. It was observed that the diffusion in the membrane slowed down drastically from Li(+) to all other monovalent alkali metal ions. Two compartment cell experiments were done with DB18C6 loaded Cs(+)- form of Nafion-117 (Cs-Naf-Cr) membrane to study the transport of Na(+) and Cs(+) ions. No transport of ions was observed. When the same experiment were performed by replacing Li(+) of Li-Naf-Cr with Cs(+) (Cs-Li-Naf-Cr), transport of Cs(+) and H(+) were observed at much faster time scale compared to Cs-Naf-Cr. The selectivity of Cs(+) over Li(+) was enhanced by a factor of about 6 when Li-Naf-Cr was used in place Li(+) form of Nafion-117 for the transport experiments.

There are contradicting reports on the thermodynamics of cation-cation interactions (CCIs; inner/outer sphere) involving NpO2(+) and UO2(2+). This paper revisits CCIs of NpO2(+) (2 × 10(-4) M) under varying conditions such as reaction time, nitric acid (2 × 10(-3)-4 M HNO3)/uranium (up to 1.2 M) concentrations, and temperature (283-343 K) by spectrophotometric measurements. This study reports for the first time the appearance of a signature peak of Np(IV) (∼964 nm) in addition to NpO2(+) (980 nm) and the NpO2(+)-UO2(2+) complex (992 nm). For a pure NpO2(+) solution at 4 M HNO3, there is a gradual increase in Np(IV) peak intensity with increasing temperature and correspondingly the Np(V) peak diminishes. The CCIs are more favored at higher uranium concentrations. However, the intensity of the 992 nm peak decreases steadily with increasing temperature suggesting the exothermic nature of the complexation process. The thermodynamic data and reported structural studies indicate the formation of an inner-sphere complex under the conditions of this study. In addition, the spectral changes also suggest the formation of Np(IV) even in the presence of uranium at elevated temperatures. Solvent extraction studies using 1.1 M TBP and 1.1 M DHOA solutions in n-dodecane show that NpO2(+)-UO2(2+) complexes are extractable leaving NpO2(+) in the aqueous phase.

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