Composition of microorganisms in carbonated mineral waters of the Mukhen deposit (Khabarovsk territory)

Abstract

The chemical composition, distribution, structure, number of physiological groups of cultivated bacteria and their biodiversity in the cold carbonic mineral waters of Mukhen and in microbial mats were studied. It is shown that the mineral waters are cold, hydrocarbonate-calcium-magnesium, enriched with iron, manganese, barium. Carbon dioxide predominates in the gaseous composition of waters. Microbiological studies have shown that no sanitary-indicative microflora was found in mineral waters, which indicates the purity of underground waters. Carbonic waters were characterized by a low number of physiological groups of autochthonous bacteria. Among the studied microorganisms, chemolithotrophic thionic bacteria predominated, which indicates the predominance of oxidation processes of reduced sulfur compounds with the participation of bacteria in groundwater. In the microbial mats, various chemolithotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms were identified, participating in the geochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, iron, manganese, and silicon. The number of physiological groups of bacteria was higher than in mineral waters, along with this saprophytic bacteria predominated significantly. A sufficiently high rate of protein and cellulose decomposition by microorganisms of microbial mats was shown. A low diversity of cultured heterotrophic bacteria with the dominance of microorganisms of the genus Bacillus was found in mineral waters and in microbial mats. By using the methods of X-ray phase analysis, the important role of microorganisms of microbial mats in the precipitation of silicate minerals and the formation of calcium carbonates was shown.