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Influence of the Iron-Reducing Bacteria on the Release of Heavy Metals in Anaerobic River Sediment

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Abstract

The impact of autochthonous anaerobic bacteria on the release of metals in river sediment was studied. The sediments were characterized and bacterial activity was monitored in a batch reactor, where the sediments were incubated with a synthetic substrate solution containing glucose as carbon source. The results showed that metal release was correlated to the bacterial growth (carbon mineralization). In particular, a relationship between iron reduction and metal release was observed indicating that iron-reducing bacteria had a strong influence. By reductive dissolution of iron oxides, bacteria also released their associated toxic elements into the liquid phase. While organic analysis showed acetate and butyrate production leading to a decrease in pH and indicating a Clostridium fermentative bacteria activity, the results did not indicate any direct role of organic acids in the dissolution of iron and their associated metals.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Research Ministry and the University Paris Est for their financial and technical support and also to the Service of the Navigation of Seine for their authorization and technical support for the sediment sampling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR 7618 BioEMCo, IBIOS, Université Paris 12-Val de Marne, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil Cedex, France

    Catherine Gounou & Noureddine Bousserrhine

  2. Université Paris-Est, Cereve, UMR-MA102 - AgroParisTech, 61 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil Cedex, France

    Catherine Gounou & Gilles Varrault

  3. Sisyphe UMR 7619, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France

    Jean-Marie Mouchel

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  1. Catherine Gounou
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  2. Noureddine Bousserrhine
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  4. Jean-Marie Mouchel
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Correspondence to Noureddine Bousserrhine.

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Gounou, C., Bousserrhine, N., Varrault, G. et al. Influence of the Iron-Reducing Bacteria on the Release of Heavy Metals in Anaerobic River Sediment. Water Air Soil Pollut 212, 123–139 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0327-y

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