Geochemistry and microbiology of an impounded subterranean acidic water body at Mynydd Parys, Anglesey, Wales

Abstract

Acidic, metal‐rich water that had accumulated within two abandoned, adjacent copper mines in north Wales was removed to prevent its possible catastrophic release. About 274 000 m3 of acidic (pH ∼2.4) mine water was pumped out of the mines over a 14‐week period. Concentrations of dissolved species (iron, sulfate, aluminium, copper, manganese and zinc) increased as water at lower depths within the mines was accessed. The discharged water flowed through a small wetland area, reaching the sea about 3 km north of the mine site. Analysis of the water at three sampling stations revealed that there was very little removal of aluminium and most of the heavy metals present except (ferrous) iron, which was partially removed as a result of oxidation and hydrolysis of the resulting ferric iron. The dominant bacterium in the subterranean mine water, which was essentially devoid of oxygen, was the iron‐ and sulfur‐oxidizer Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The microbial populations in the pumped mine water were monitored using combined cultivation‐dependent (isolation on solid media) and cultivation‐independent (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and clone library) techniques. Other bacteria detected in the mine water included other iron‐oxidizers (Leptospirillum spp., ‘Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum’ and Gallionella‐like organisms) and heterotrophic acidophiles (Acidiphilium, Acidisphaera and Acidobacterium). Archaeal clones were also detected; most of these were related to methanogens. Owing to the absence of an effective remediation strategy, an estimated 7.5 tonnes of copper, 3.1 tonnes of manganese, 14.8 tonnes of zinc and 15.3 tonnes of aluminium was discharged into the Irish Sea as a consequence of the dewatering of the mines.

Eukaryote-Dominated Biofilms and Their Significance in Acidic Environments

“…Additionally, these environments tend to be deficient in such nutrients as inorganic carbon and phosphorus, which limits primary production (Kapfer 1998;Nixdorf and Kapfer 1998). These factors also limit diversity and richness of biota to a few species of microorganisms (Mulholland et al 1986;Verb and Vis 2000) that include prokaryotic bacteria and Archaea (Hallberg and Johnson 2003;Coupland and Johnson 2004;Druschel et al 2004;Bruneel et al 2006) and eukaryotic algae, protozoa, and fungi (Cooke 1966(Cooke , 1976Bennett 1969;Hargreaves et al 1975;Albertino 1995;DeNicola 2000). Most microorganisms living in acidic environments are acid tolerant (i.e., acidotolerant), having a wide pH tolerance with optimum growth at or near normal pH, as opposed to being exclusively acidophilic with optimum growth and competition under acid conditions (e.g., Gross 2000;Gross and Robbins 2000;Konhauser 2007).…”

Bacterial Diversity in a Mine Water Treatment Plant

“…Other Betaproteobacteria in the plant were related to Gallionella ferruginea, a neutrophilic autotrophic iron oxidizer. Relatives of G. ferruginea have often been detected in microbial mine water communities, and in some acid mine drainage investigation areas these bacteria seemed to be a dominant group (3,4,7). Moreover, sequences related to Delftia acidovorans and Oxalobacter formigenes were detected at very low relative abundance in all clone libraries.…”

“…Except for one clone, which was related to the sulfur-reducing Desulfuromonas species, all these clones were distantly related to the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfobacca acetooxidans. The Actinobacteria were represented in the microbial community by species related to "Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum," a heterotrophic iron oxidizer which has been observed in several mine waters (4,6), by relatives of Rhodococcus, and by other uncultured species. Sequences affiliated with the Firmicutes were detected mainly in water samples (see Fig.…”

Environmental detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in a temperate climate

“…The contents of each flask were filtered through a cellulose nitrate filter membrane (0.45 µm pore size to capture 1-2 µm zoospores; Berger et al 1999) held in a dismountable 47 mm Swinnex filter holder (SX0004700, Millipore) using a 50 ml syringe (XX1105005, Millipore) to collect and concentrate any Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis present. Rather than assessing various eluting strategies, we disrupted whole filter membranes (Brinkman et al 2003, Coupland & Johnson 2004. Following filtration, each membrane was placed into a Powerbead tube (Mobio Power Soil DNA extraction kit).…”