Abstract
We present the first study of a unique acidic lake formed in the Brunita open pit (La Unión mines, Cartagena, SE Spain). This pit lake exhibits chemical characteristics typical of AMD, such as low pH (pH 2.2–5.0) and high iron content (500–6400 mg/L total Fe). It also has some of the highest sulfate concentrations reported to date in pit lakes (26,000–38,400 mg/L \({\text{SO}}_{ 4}^{ 2- }\)) and transition metals like Mn (up to 2000 mg/L), Zn (500 mg/L), or Cu (250 mg/L). In addition, we found abnormally high concentrations of salt-forming ions (e.g. 5500 mg/L Mg, 750–1300 mg/L Cl, and 300–630 mg/L Na). The resulting high salinity (58‰) at the bottom creates a meromictic lake despite the lake’s low relative depth (9%), with an anoxic, reducing monimolimnion isolated from the oxygenated mixolimnion. In the monimolimnion, we observed decreased metal concentrations (e.g. Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb, Th). We hypothesize that these metals are being removed by interaction with biogenic H2S and subsequent precipitation as metal sulfides. Scanning electron microscopy shows sub-micron, spherical particles of ZnS in close association with cocci and rod-like bacteria. Analysis of the microbial community composition through 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed different genera of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the monimolimnion, including Desulfobacca, Desulfomonile, Desulfurispora, and Desulfosporosinus. Their apparent ability to reduce sulfate and selectively precipitate potentially toxic metals, and their resistance to this lake’s extreme geochemical conditions, makes these bacteria of great interest for biotechnological applications (e.g. bioremediation and biomining).
Zusammenfassung
Wir stellen hier die erste Untersuchung eines einzigartigen sauren Sees vor, der sich in dem Brunita Tagbau gebildet hat. Der See zeigt typische Charakteristika saurer Bergbauwässer, etwa niedrigen pH (2,2-5,0) und hohe Eisengehalte (500-6.400 mg/L gesamt-Fe). Er hat auch die höchste Sulfatkonzentration, welche jemals in Bergbauseen gefunden wurde (26.000-38.400 mg/L \({\text{SO}}_{ 4}^{ 2- }\)), sowie Übergangsmetalle wie Mn (bis 2000 mg/L), Zn (500 mg/L), oder Cu (250 mg/L). Zudem fanden wir abnorm hohe Konzentrationen von salzbildenden Ionen (zum Beispiel 5.500 mg/L Mg, 750-1.300 mg/L Cl, und 300-630 mg/L Na). Die resultierende hohe Salinität (58 ‰) am Boden verursacht einen meromiktischen Charakter des Sees trotz seiner geringen relativen Tiefe (9%), mit einem anoxischen, reduzierenden Monimolimnion welches von dem sauerstofführenden Mixolimnion getrennt ist. Im Monimolimnion fanden wir geringere Metallkonzentrationen (z.B. Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb, Th). Wir vermuten, daß diese Metalle durch Interaktion mit biogenem H2S abstrahiert werden und danach als Metallsulfide ausfallen. Das Rasterelektronenmikroskop zeigt rundliche Partikel von ZnS nahe von Kokken und stäbchenförmigen Bakterien. Die Analyse der mikrobiellen Gemeinschaft mittels 16S rRNA Gen Amplicon Sequenzierung ergab die Anwesenheit verschiedener Genera sulfatreduzierender Bakterien im Monimolimnion, unter anderen Desulfobacca, Desulfomonile, Desulfurispora, und Desulfosporosinus. Ihre scheinbare Fähigkeit, Sulfat zu reduzieren und potentiell toxische Metalle selektiv auszufällen, und ihre Resistenz gegen die extremen geochemischen Bedingungen in dem See verleiht diesen Bakterien ein großes Interesse für biotechnologische Anwendungen (u.a. Bioremediation und Biogewinnung).
Resumen
Presentamos el primer estudio de un lago ácido único formado en la mina a cielo abierto Brunita (minas de La Unión, Cartagena, SE España). Este lago minero presenta características químicas típicas de los AMD, como un pH bajo (pH 2.2–5.0) y un alto contenido de hierro (500–6400 mg/L de Fe total). También tiene algunas de las concentraciones más altas de sulfato registradas hasta la fecha en lagos mineros (26,000–38,400 mg/L \({\text{SO}}_{ 4}^{ 2- }\)) y metales de transición como Mn (hasta 2000 mg/L), Zn (500 mg/L) o Cu (250 mg/L). Además, encontramos concentraciones anormalmente altas de iones formadores de sales (por ejemplo, 5500 mg/L de Mg, 750-1300 mg/L de Cl y 300-630 mg/L de Na). La alta salinidad resultante en el fondo (58 ‰) crea un lago meromíctico a pesar de la baja profundidad relativa del lago (9%), con un monimolimnion anóxico reductor aislado del mixolimnion oxigenado. En el monimolimnion, observamos una disminución de las concentraciones de metales (por ejemplo, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb, Th). Suponemos que estos metales se eliminan mediante la interacción con H2S biogénico y la posterior precipitación como sulfuros metálicos. La microscopía electrónica de barrido muestra partículas esféricas submicrométricas de ZnS en estrecha asociación con bacterias de tipo coco y bacilo. El análisis de la composición de la comunidad microbiana a través de la secuenciación del amplicón del gen 16S rRNA reveló diferentes géneros de bacterias reductoras de sulfato en el monimolimnion, incluidos Desulfobacca, Desulfomonile, Desulfurispora y Desulfosporosinus. Su aparente capacidad para reducir el sulfato y precipitar selectivamente metales potencialmente tóxicos y su resistencia a las condiciones geoquímicas extremas de este lago, hace que estas bacterias sean de gran interés para aplicaciones biotecnológicas (por ejemplo, biorremediación y biominería).
抽象
第一次研究了独特的布伦纳露天矿(La Union mines, Cartagena, SE Spain)酸性矿坑湖。湖水显示出典型的酸性矿井水(AMD)化学特征,例如低pH值(pH 2.2-5.0)和富铁(总铁浓度500- 6400 mg/L)。湖水具有迄今报道矿坑湖中最高的硫酸盐含量(26000 -38400 mg/L \({\text{SO}}_{ 4}^{ 2- }\))和过渡金属浓度,例如锰(2000 mg/L)、锌(500 mg/L),或铜(250 mg/L)。还发现湖水含有异常高浓度的盐离子(如镁5,500 mg/L g、氯750-1300 mg/L和钠300-630 mg/L)。尽管矿坑湖相对深度较低(9%),湖底高盐度(58‰)特征使之成为半对流湖,缺氧、还原性的永滞层与含氧的混成层相对独立。在永滞层中,观察到金属离子(如铜、锌、镉、铬、铅和钍)浓度降低。推测这些金属会正在经过与生物成因气体(H2S)相互作用及随后的金属硫化物沉淀作用被去除。扫描电镜发现亚微米级球形硫化锌(ZnS)颗粒与球菌和杆状细菌密切相关。采用16S rRNA基因扩增子测序手段分析了微生物群落组成,发现永滞层内生存着不同属的硫酸盐还原菌,包括Desulfobacca、Desulfomonile、Desulfurispora和Desulfosporosinus。它们具有明显的去除硫酸盐和选择性沉淀潜在有毒金属的能力,具有承受湖水极端地球化学条件的能力。这些细菌有望引发生物技术方面 (例如生物修复和生化采矿)的关注。
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Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness through the National Research Agency (FEDER funds, Grant CGL2016-74984-R). We thank our colleagues from the IGME laboratories (Jesús Reyes, Ana Nieto, Mercedes Castillo, Maite Andrés) for chemical analyses of waters and sediments. We thank the personnel at the SGIker facilities of the Basque Country University (Javier Sanguesa, Ana Martínez-Amesti, and Sergio Fernández) for their help during mineralogical characterization. ISA was funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) through SIAM Gravitation grant 024.002.002. We thank Iame Alves Guedes for processing the filter samples, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions on an earlier version of this manuscript.
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Sánchez-España, J., Yusta, I., Ilin, A. et al. Microbial Geochemistry of the Acidic Saline Pit Lake of Brunita Mine (La Unión, SE Spain). Mine Water Environ 39, 535–555 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-020-00655-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-020-00655-0