Sulfur isotope insights into microbial sulfate reduction: When microbes meet models

Johnston, David T.; Farquhar, James; Canfield, Donald E.

doi:10.1016/j.gca.2007.05.008

Cited by 208 publications

(242 citation statements)

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“…Both microbial processes are associated with a fractionation in ı 34 S of different magnitude, leaving the 33 S and 36 S signatures unaltered (Johnston et al, 2005(Johnston et al, , 2007Shen et al, 2009). ı 34 S values recorded here for the black shale samples are positive and show a low fractionation in 34 S (Fig.…”

Section: Black Shalementioning

confidence: 62%

Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Montinaro

Strauß

Mason

et al. 2015

Precambrian Research

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a b s t r a c tMass-dependent and mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation archived in volcanic and sedimentary rocks from the Barberton Greenstone Belt (3550-3215 Ma), South Africa, provide constraints for sulfur cycling on the early Earth. Four different sample suites were studied: komatiites and tholeiites, barite, massive and disseminated sulfide ores, and non-mineralized black shales.Variable but generally slightly positive ı 34 S values between −0.7 and +5.2‰, negative 33 S values between −0.50 and −0.09‰, and a negative correlation between ı 34 S and 33 S as well as between 33 S and 36 S for komatiites and tholeiites from the Komati Formation and from the Weltevreden Formation are outside the expected range of unfractionated juvenile sulfur. Instead, results suggest alteration of oceanic crustal rock sulfur through interactions with fluids that most likely derived their sulfur from seawater.Barite from the Mapepe Formation displays positive ı 34 S values between +3.1 and +8.1‰ and negative 33 S values between −0.77 and −0.34‰. The mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionation indicates an atmospheric sulfur source, notably photolytic sulfate, whereas the positive ı 34 S values suggest bacterial sulfate reduction of the marine sulfate reservoir.Non-mineralized black shale samples from the presumed stratigraphic equivalent of the Mapepe Formation show positive ı 34 S values between 0.0 and +1.3‰ and positive 33 S values between +0.59 and +2.45‰. These results are interpreted to result from the reduction of photolytic elemental sulfur, carrying a positive 33 S signature.Positive ı 34 S values ranging from +0.7 to +3.5‰ and slightly negative 33 S values between −0.17 and −0.12‰ characterize massive and disseminated sulfides from the Bien Venue Prospect. Results suggest unfractionated juvenile magmatic sulfur source as the primary sulfur source, but a contribution from recycled seawater sulfate, which would be indicative of submarine hydrothermal activity, cannot be ruled out.Massive and disseminated sulfides from the M'hlati prospect are distinctly different from massive and disseminated sulfide from the Bien Venue Prospect. They show negative ı 34 S values between −1.2 and −0.1‰ and positive 33 S values between +2.66 and +3.17‰, thus, displaying a sizeable mass-independent A. Montinaro et al. / Precambrian Research 267 (2015) 311-322 sulfur isotopic fractionation. Again, these samples clearly exhibit the incorporation of an atmospheric MIF-S signal. The source of sulfur for these samples has positive 33 S values, suggesting a connection with photolytic elemental sulfur. In conclusion, the sulfur isotope signatures in Paleoarchean rocks from the Barberton Greenstone Belt are diverse and indicate the incorporation of different sources of sulfur. For komatiites and tholeiites, barite and massive and possibly also disseminated sulfides from Bien Venue, multiple sulfur isotopes are related to ambient seawater sulfate and its photolytic origin, while massive and disseminated sulfides from M'hlati and non-...

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Section: Black Shalementioning

confidence: 62%

Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Montinaro

Strauß

Mason

et al. 2015

Precambrian Research

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“…Additional research on pure cultures found an inverse relationship between the cell specific rate of sulfate reduction (csSRR, fmol/cell·day) and the fractionation factor [57]. Large ranges of ε 34 S SO 4 -H 2 S were found to be a function of the available electron donor type and its rate of delivery.…”

Section: Using Sulfur Isotopes To Fingerprint Bsr Processesmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Significantly, the ∆ 34 S Bio Out-MS trends (Figure 10b), which showed sharp decreases during low-temperature periods and the overall gradual decreases in ∆ 34 S Bio Out-MS values, suggest that BSR processes were characterized by large temporal and spatial variabilities. The seasonal trends in S isotope are related to those of pH (decreasing) and SO 4 2− (increasing) that can be explained by the temperature dependence of BSR processes [18,37,57,58]. In the case of the oxidation pond and aerobic wetland, the persistent lower ∆ 34 S System Out-MS compared to ∆ 34 S Bio Out-MS (Figure 10b) suggest that BSR processes, if present, had minimal influence on δ 34 S SO 4 values.…”

Section: Sulfur Isotope Temporal Trendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Laboratory experiments that determined ε 34 S SO 4 -H 2 S produced by BSR have found that most of the values cluster around ε 34 S SO 4 -H 2 S ≈ +25 ± 10 [57]. Additional research on pure cultures found an inverse relationship between the cell specific rate of sulfate reduction (csSRR, fmol/cell·day) and the fractionation factor [57].…”

Section: Using Sulfur Isotopes To Fingerprint Bsr Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sulfur Isotope Fractionation as an Indicator of Biogeochemical Processes in an AMD Passive Bioremediation System

et al. 2017

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Sulfate, the main dissolved contaminant in acid mine drainage (AMD), is ubiquitous in watersheds affected by coal and metal mining operations worldwide. Engineered passive bioremediation systems (PBS) are low-cost technologies that remediate sulfate contamination by promoting (1) precipitation of sulfate-bearing compounds, such as schwertmannite and gypsum; and (2) microbially-mediated sulfate reduction (BSR) to sulfide with subsequent precipitation of sulfide minerals. In this study, chemical and sulfur isotopic data are used to infer multiple pathways for sulfate sequestration in the Tab-Simco PBS. By simultaneously monitoring sulfate concentrations and δ 34 S SO 4 values at four sampling points across the PBS, we (1) identified that the organic layer within the bioreactor was the primary site of BSR processes contributing to sulfate sequestration; (2) observed seasonal variations of BSR processes; (3) estimated that initially the BSR processes contributed up to 30% to sulfate sequestration in the Tab-Simco bioreactor; and (4) determined that BSR contribution to sulfate sequestration continuously declined over the PBS operational lifetime. Together, our results highlight the utility of combining geochemical and microbial fingerprinting techniques to decipher complementary processes involved in sulfur cycling in a PBS as well as the value of adding the sulfur isotope approach as an essential tool to help understand, predict, prevent and mitigate sulfate contamination in AMD-impacted systems.

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“…For example the reduction of sulfate to sulfide at low temperatures abiotically is a very slow chemical process -the observation of significant fluxes of sulfide at lower temperatures is thus strong evidence for microbial sulfate reduction metabolisms. Sulfur isotopes are strongly fractionated by sulfur reducing bacteria (Fike and Grotzinger, 2008;Johnston et al, 2007), providing another line of chemical evidence for this role of microbes in a specific geochemical process. This idea of a chemical or mineralogical biomarker for life has seen significant research (e.g.…”

Section: How Do We Characterize Microbes and Their Link To Geochemistry?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Geomicrobiology and Microbial Geochemistry

Druschel

Kappler²

2015

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Sulfur isotope insights into microbial sulfate reduction: When microbes meet models

Cited by 208 publications

References 50 publications

Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Sulfur Isotope Fractionation as an Indicator of Biogeochemical Processes in an AMD Passive Bioremediation System

Geomicrobiology and Microbial Geochemistry

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