Abstract
The northwest arid zone accounts for nearly 25% of the total territory area of China. It has a wealth of oil, natural gas, and mineral resources. For example, Xinjiang, one of the provinces in Northwest China, possesses 2.19 trillion tons of coal, more than 40% of the total coal deposits in China. Apart from coal, metal mineral deposits, including chromium, gold, iron, vanadium, copper, nickel, tungsten, molybdenum, lead, and zinc, are also very ample in Xinjiang and are on the top list of mineral resources of China. Deposits of magnesite, fluorite, sulfur, kyanite, salt, kaolin, asbestos, vermiculite, gypsum, graphite, perlite, and zeolite are also abundant in Xinjiang (Pirajno et al. 2011). Over 3000 mines have been being exploited. Huge amounts of wastewaters and slags containing toxic metal elements have been produced during extraction and smelting. Soils, groundwaters, and surface waters in and around mines are seriously polluted by heavy metals and arsenic. In some sites near gold mines, mercury and arsenic concentrations in soils can be up to hundreds of ppm. Crops in some downstream areas are also polluted by heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury. In addition, large areas of soil in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia are polluted with high levels of arsenic due to geological reasons. For example, arsenic pollution of soil and groundwater was found from the Aibi Lake to the east of Manasi River, which covers 250 km in length (Sun 2004). Heavy metal and arsenic pollution poses a great risk to human being and ecosystem in Northwest China.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Achal V, Pan X, Zhang D et al (2012a) Bioremediation of Pb-contaminated soil based on microbially induced calcite precipitation. J Microbiol Biotechnol 22(2):244–247
Achal V, Pan X, Fu Q et al (2012b) Biomineralization based remediation of As (III) contaminated soil by Sporosarcina ginsengisoli. J Hazard Mater 201:178–184
Achal V, Pan X, Zhang D (2012c) Bioremediation of strontium (Sr) contaminated aquifer quartz sand based on carbonate precipitation induced by Sr resistant Halomonas sp. Chemosphere 89(6):764–768. V
Achal V, Pan X, Lee DJ et al (2013) Remediation of Cr (VI) from chromium slag by biocementation. Chemosphere 93(7):1352–1358
ATSDR (2002) Draft toxicological profile for several trace elements U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta
Cho DH, Yoo MH, Kim EY (2004) Biosorption of lead (Pb2+) from aqueous solution by Rhodotorula aurantiaca. J Microbiol Biotechnol 14(2):250–255
Concas A, Ardau C, Cristini A et al (2006) Mobility of heavy metals from tailings to stream waters in a mining activity contaminated site. Chemosphere 63(2):244–253
Dennis P, Brent F, Fionna M, Brent K (2003) Human health risk and exposure assessment of chromium (VI) in tap water. J Toxicol Environ Health A 66:1295–1339
Desai C, Jain K, Madamwar D (2008) Hexavalent chromate reductase activity in cytosolic fractions of Pseudomonas sp. G1DM21 isolated from Cr(VI) contaminated industrial landfill. Process Biochem 43:713–721
Fayiga AO, Ma LQ, Cao X et al (2004) Effects of heavy metals on growth and arsenic accumulation in the arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L. Environ Pollut 132(2):289–296
Harrison RM, Laxen DPH, Wilson SJ (1981) Chemical associations of lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc in street dusts and roadside soils. Environ Sci Technol 15(11):1378–1383
Kasimtseva NV (2010) Removal of arsenic and strontium from aqueous solution using ironoxide coated zeolitized tuff
Kumari D, Pan X, Lee DJ et al (2014a) Immobilization of cadmium in soil by microbially induced carbonate precipitation with Exiguobacterium undae at low temperature. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad 94:98–102
Kumari D, Li M, Pan X et al (2014b) Effect of bacterial treatment on Cr (VI) remediation from soil and subsequent plantation of Pisum sativum. Ecol Eng 73:404–408
Kumari D, Qian X Y, Pan X L, et al. (2016) Microbially-induced carbonate precipitation for immobilization of toxic metals. Advances in applied microbiology, vol 94, chapter 2. ISSN 0065-2164
NRC (1999) Arsenic in drinking water. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC
Pan XL (2009) Micrologically induced carbonate precipitation as a promising way to in situ immobilize heavy metals in groundwater and sediment. Res J Chem Environ 13(4):3–4
Pan XL (2010) Microbial extracellular polymeric substances: The ignored but crucial bio-interface affecting mobility of heavy metals in environment. Res J Biotechnol 5(3):3–4
Pirajno F, Seltmann R, Yang Y (2011) A review of mineral systems and associated tectonic settings of northern Xinjiang, NW China. Geosci Front 2(2):157–185
Sun G (2004) Arsenic contamination and arsenicosis in China. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 198(3):268–271
Wang Z, Chen J, Chai L et al (2011) Environmental impact and site-specific human health risks of chromium in the vicinity of a ferro-alloy manufactory, China. J Hazard Mater 190(1):980–985
Xu Y, Yang Z, Xiang R (2011) Reduction of chromium contaminated soils by microorganism. Environ Chem 30:555–560. (in Chinese)
Yang J, Pan X, Zhao C et al (2016) Bioimmobilization of heavy metals in acidic copper mine tailings soil. Geomicrobiol J 33(3–4):261–266
Zhao C, Fu Q, Song W et al (2015) Calcifying cyanobacterium (Nostoc calcicola) reactor as a promising way to remove cadmium from water. Ecol Eng 81:107–114
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Science Press & Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pan, X., Achal, V., Zhao, C., Yang, J., Kumari, D. (2018). Microbial Remediation of Heavy Metals and Arsenic-Contaminated Environments in the Arid Zone of Northwest China. In: Luo, Y., Tu, C. (eds) Twenty Years of Research and Development on Soil Pollution and Remediation in China. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6029-8_28
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6029-8_28
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6028-1
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6029-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)