Experimental study on reduction of U (Ⅵ) by an anaerobic bacterium, Shewanella putrefaciens: Application to sandstone-hosted interlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposits, China

An experimental study on reduction of U (Ⅵ) by anaerobic bacteria, Shewane//a putrefaciens, is first reported here in China. The experimental conditions were: 35℃ and pH =7.0-7.4, corresponding to a physicochemical environments in which the sandstone-hosted interlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposit formed in Northwest China's Xinjiang. Bacteria adopted in the present experiment, Shewanella putrefaciens, occur extensively in natural environment. Our study shows that nano-crystal precipitates of uraninite quickly occurred on the surface of the cells within one week. It was found that the pitchblende was characterized by a random arrangement of uraninite nanocrystals (2-4 nm) in it, significantly different from natural pitchblende in which uraninite nanocrystals are arranged in order. Finally, a possible mechanism of uranium biomineralization by microorganisms in the deposits is discussed. Our investigation may supply a technical train of thoughts for bioremediation of nuclear-contaminated water environments and for underground dissolving extraction of the sandstone-hosted uranium ores.     

Biomineralization of Uranium: A Simulated Experiment and Its Significance

A simulated experimental reduction of U^v1 and the synthesis of uraninite by a sulfate-reducing bacteria,Desulfovibrio desulfuricans DSM 642, are first reported. The simulated physicochemical experimental conditions were:35℃, pH=7.0-7.4, corresponding to the environments of formation of the sandstone-hosted interlayer oxidation-zone type uranium deposits in Xinjiang, NW China. Uraninite was formed on the surface of the host bacteria after a one-week‘s incubation. Therefore, sulfate-reducing bacteria, which existed extensively in Jurassic sandstone-producing environments,might have participated in the biomineralization of this uranium deposit. There is an important difference in the orderdisorder of the crystalline structure between the uraninite produced by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and naturally occurring uraninite. Long time and slow precipitation and growth of uraninite in the geological environment might have resulted in larger uraninite crystals, with uraninite nanocrystals arranged in order, whereas the experimentally produced uraninite is composed of unordered uraninite nanocrystals which, in contrast, result from the short time span of formation and rapid precipitation and growth of uraninite. The discovery has important implications for understanding genetic significance in mineralogy, and also indicates that in-situ bioremediation of U-contaminated environments and use of biotechnology in the treatment of radioactive liquid waste is being contemplated.     

我国砂岩型铀矿分带特征研究现状及存在问题

作为一种重要的国家战略资源,砂岩型铀矿床是当今世界上最重要的铀矿床类型之一。本文详细地介绍了砂岩型铀矿在国内外的分布特征及占比情况,并对外生地质作用矿床类型中表生流体作用形成的层间渗透砂岩型和潜水渗透砂岩型铀矿床进行了讨论,发现层间渗透砂岩型铀矿床在外表颜色、矿物组合以及地球化学等方面均具有明显的氧化-还原分带现象,此外,矿床内部还具有细菌分带现象。颜色分带在氧化带、氧化-还原过渡带以及还原带之间具有明显不同的特征;矿物组合在不同分带之间各不相同;地球化学分带表现为U、TOC含量以及Fe~(2+)/Fe~(3+)、Th/U比值在各分带之间差异较大。此外,硫酸盐还原菌、硫杆菌、铁细菌及硝化菌等细菌在不同分带之间的数量相差悬殊,而且硫酸盐还原菌数量与TOC呈明显正相关性。通过矿化带内的碳、硫同位素分析,发现硫酸盐还原菌参与了成矿过程,推测其可能是导致碳、硫同位素分馏的主要因素。总体来看,颜色分带、矿物分带、地球化学分带以及细菌分带均与氧化-还原分带呈耦合关系。本文通过总结层间渗透砂岩型和潜水渗透砂岩型铀矿床的成矿模式和当前分带研究中存在的问题,提出了由细菌、地球化学反应参与的砂岩型铀矿床成矿机理,以及未来亟需解决的若干关键科学问题。典型砂岩型铀矿床的分带现象在物、化、探、遥等领域的异常响应对寻找砂岩型铀矿床具有重要的指导意义。     

Stabilisation/solidification and bioaugmentation treatment of petroleum drill cuttings

Petroleum drill cuttings are usually treated by techniques suitable for particular contaminant groups. The significance of this study consists in the development of a treatment technology that can simultaneously handle the hydrocarbon and metal constituents of drill cuttings. Bioaugmentation is combined with stabilisation/solidification (S/S), within S/S monoliths and in granulated S/S monoliths. Portland cement was used for S/S treatment at 30% binder dosage. Bioaugmentation treatment involved two bacterial densities of a mixed culture bio-preparation. The effects of inclusion of compost, fertiliser and activated carbon were also evaluated. After 28 days, the combined S/S and bioaugmentation treatments recorded up to 15% higher total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) loss than control S/S treatment without bioaugmentation. Embedding fertiliser, activated carbon and higher bacterial density within S/S monoliths resulted in the highest (99%) TPH reduction but higher concentrations of metals. The addition of compost and lower bacterial density to granulated S/S monoliths led to similar (98%) TPH degradation and lower amounts of metals. The results suggest that with better mixture optimisation, combining S/S and bioaugmentation could engender more sustainable treatment of drill cuttings.     

Closely related thyasirid bivalves associate with multiple symbiont phylotypes

Species of thyasirid bivalves are considered to be representative of early stages of chemosymbiosis, given that bacterial symbionts occur outside gill epithelial cells, vary among species in their abundance and nutritional importance, and are environmentally acquired. For these reasons, assessing the extent of host–symbiont specificity in thyasirids could provide valuable information on the evolution of chemosymbiosis. We show that individuals of two closely related and sympatric Thyasira cf. gouldi operational taxonomic units collected from three sites in a fjord in Newfoundland, Canada, associate with one of three distinct, closely related symbiont phylotypes. While associations show some site‐specificity, there is flexibility in host–symbiont pairings within the fjord, further supporting an early and relatively unspecific stage of chemosymbiosis in this family. Morphologic differences observed both within and among symbiont phylotypes suggest physiologic variation, possibly induced by small‐scale differences in sedimentary conditions.     

Sublittoral seaweed communities on natural and artificial substrata in a high-latitude coral community in South Africa

Coral mortality may result in macroalgal proliferation or a phase shift into an alga-dominated state. Subtidal, high-latitude western Indian Ocean coral communities at Sodwana Bay on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, South Africa, have experienced some mortality because of warm-water anomalies, storms and other causes, but the response of the macroalgae is unknown. We investigated the abundance and diversity of benthic algae on different hard natural substrata (dead digitate, brain and plate corals and beach rock) on Two-Mile Reef, Sodwana Bay. We also compared algal communities colonising ceramic, marble and pretreated ceramic tiles placed on the reef for six months. We identified 95 algae (14 Chlorophyta, 11 Phaeophyceae, 69 Rhodophyta and one cyanobacterium). Assemblages on natural and artificial substrata were dominated by the brown alga Lobophora variegata (Lamouroux) Womersley ex Oliveira and non-geniculate corallines (Rhodophyta, Corallinaceae). Cluster and ordination analyses revealed that the algae showed no affinity for particular substrata, whether natural or artificial. Algal cover was occasionally higher on rougher tiles and crustose corallines were significantly more abundant on marble than ceramic tiles. Two-Mile Reef had 23.1% dead and 48.4% live scleractinian coral cover, where dead corals were colonised indiscriminately by many small algal species, but there was no evidence of algal proliferation. The results provide a baseline for monitoring this high-latitude reef system.     

A seasonal comparison of prokaryote numbers,biomass and heterotrophic productivity in waters of the KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

The KwaZulu-Natal Bight is a shallow indentation of the eastern seaboard of South Africa, characterised by a narrow (45 km wide) extension of the continental shelf, with a shelf break at about 100 m. It has a complex hydrography: the waters of the bight are derived from the fast-flowing, southward-trending Agulhas Current, which is fed mostly by the tropical and subtropical surface waters of the South-West Indian Ocean subgyre, which are generally oligotrophic in nature, notably depleted in reduced nitrogen and phosphate except at river mouths and during periodic upwelling of deeper nutrient-rich water. Despite this, the bight is believed to be relatively productive, and it is suggested that efficient nutrient recycling by prokaryotes may sustain primary productivity efficiently, even in the absence of new nutrient inputs. Here we have measured bacterial numbers, biomass and heterotrophic productivity during summer and winter in conjunction with phytoplankton standing stock and factors that influence it. Bacterial distribution closely matched phytoplankton distribution in surface waters, and was highest close to the coast. Bacterial standing stocks were similar to those of oligotrophic systems elsewhere (0.5–5.0 × 10⁵ cells ml^–1; 1 × 10^–8 to 1.25 × 10^–7 g C ml^–1) and increased in association with the development of phytoplankton blooms offshore and with inputs of allochthonous material by rivers at the coast. Heterotrophic productivity in summer was lowest in the far south and north of the bight (0.5 × 10^–10 g C ml^–1 h^–1) but higher close to the shore, over shallow banks, and in association with increased phytoplankton abundance over the midshelf (1.0–3.5 × 10^–9 g C ml^–1 h^–1). There were marked seasonal differences with lower bacterial standing stocks (5 × 10⁴ to 2 × 10⁵ cells ml^–1; 4–5 × 10^–9 to 1–2 × 10^–8 g C ml^–1) and very low bacterial productivity (4 × 10^–11 to 1 × 10^–10 g C ml^–1 h^–1) in winter, probably resulting from lowered rates of primary productivity and dissolved organic matter release as well as reduced riverine allochthonous inputs during the winter drought.     

季节性低温胁迫下陇东黄土高原油污土壤环境因子对耐冷混合菌场地生态修复的响应

为了揭示季节性低温胁迫下陇东黄土高原油污土壤环境因子对耐冷混合菌场地生态修复的响应机制,利用自主筛选构建的耐冷石油降解混合菌在甘肃省庆阳市庆城县马岭镇长庆油田陇东油泥处理站开展了为期7个月的场地修复实验,采用常规方法测定了不同季节土壤理化特性、酶活性和微生物群落特性等环境指标。结果表明：（1）在季节性低温胁迫下（9-11月）M2组（耐冷混合菌处理组）月平均降解率明显增加（P<0.01）,JZJ+M1组（金盏菊联合常温混合菌处理组）和M2组累计TPH降解率分别为15.37%±3.51%和28.64%±4.12%。（2）M2组土壤脱氢酶和多酚氧化酶在低温季节（LT）活性最高,且温度和处理存在显著交互作用（P<0.01）。在土壤营养元素方面,无论何种处理方式（JZJ+M1和M2）二者含量均为RT（常温季节）高于LT（P<0.05）,同时明显高于CK组（P<0.05）。（3）M2组土壤微生物群落Shannon-Wiener指数和均匀度指数在LT高于RT（P<0.05）。（4）NMDS和Pearson相关性分析结果显示,M2组在低温季节具有较高TPH降解率主要与土壤多酚氧化酶、脱氢酶、单月TPH降解率（μ2）和Shannon-Wiener指数有关,且均呈极显著正相关关系。通过分析环境因子的季节响应,优化场地修复在低温环境的降解条件、加速低温期石油烃降解速率,以期为陇东地区低温耐冷混合菌场地生态修复技术的推广应用提供参考和基础数据资料。     

Long-term effects of a toxic algal bloom on subtidal soft-sediment macroinvertebrate communities in Wellington Harbour, New Zealand

The long-term effects (>1 year) of a naturally occurring toxic plankton bloom (Karenia brevisulcata) on subtidal benthic macroinvertebrate communities were investigated in Wellington Harbour, a semi-enclosed temperate embayment in New Zealand. For 3 years communities were sampled at three different sites in the harbour. Analyses revealed that community recovery following the bloom was site-specific. Multivariate analyses indicated that at one site community composition was approaching recovery 3 years post-bloom. At the second site, a sequential recovery process was indicated, whereas at the third site the community composition oscillated from year to year, but did not show any signs of a sequential recovery process. The nature of the hydrodynamic regime was identified as a major factor influencing the observed recovery processes. Communities exposed to an active hydrodynamic regime were less affected by the bloom and differed little in their composition pre- and post-bloom, as they were naturally in a perpetual state of recovery as indicated by a dominance of r-selected species. The community at the hydrodynamically less active site was more affected by the bloom and exhibited temporal differences in composition consistent with successional models. Complete recovery to a pre-disturbance climax community dominated by K-selected species is likely to take 4–5 years, if not interrupted by other disturbances. Given the increased occurrence of harmful algal blooms worldwide, more monitoring and manipulative studies are needed to further evaluate the effects of such disturbances on macrobenthic communities.     

Carbon cycling in a high-arctic marine ecosystem – Young Sound, NE Greenland

Young Sound is a deep-sill fjord in NE Greenland (74°N). Sea ice usually begins to form in late September and gains a thickness of 1.5 m topped with 0–40 cm of snow before breaking up in mid-July the following year. Primary production starts in spring when sea ice algae begin to flourish at the ice–water interface. Most biomass accumulation occurs in the lower parts of the sea ice, but sea ice algae are observed throughout the sea ice matrix. However, sea ice algal primary production in the fjord is low and often contributes only a few percent of the annual phytoplankton production. Following the break-up of ice, the immediate increase in light penetration to the water column causes a steep increase in pelagic primary production. Usually, the bloom lasts until August–September when nutrients begin to limit production in surface waters and sea ice starts to form. The grazer community, dominated by copepods, soon takes advantage of the increased phytoplankton production, and on an annual basis their carbon demand (7–11 g C m⁻²) is similar to phytoplankton production (6–10 g C m⁻²). Furthermore, the carbon demand of pelagic bacteria amounts to 7–12 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹. Thus, the carbon demand of the heterotrophic plankton is approximately twice the estimated pelagic primary production, illustrating the importance of advected carbon from the Greenland Sea and from land in fuelling the ecosystem.In the shallow parts of the fjord (<40 m) benthic primary producers dominate primary production. As a minimum estimate, a total of 41 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ is fixed by primary production, of which phytoplankton contributes 15%, sea ice algae <1%, benthic macrophytes 62% and benthic microphytes 22%. A high and diverse benthic infauna dominated by polychaetes and bivalves exists in these shallow-water sediments (<40 m), which are colonized by benthic primary producers and in direct contact with the pelagic phytoplankton bloom. The annual benthic mineralization is 32 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ of which megafauna accounts for 17%. In deeper waters benthic mineralization is 40% lower than in shallow waters and megafauna, primarily brittle stars, accounts for 27% of the benthic mineralization. The carbon that escapes degradation is permanently accumulated in the sediment, and for the locality investigated a rate of 7 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ was determined.A group of walruses (up to 50 adult males) feed in the area in shallow waters (<40 m) during the short, productive, ice-free period, and they have been shown to be able to consume <3% of the standing stock of bivalves (Hiatella arctica, Mya truncata and Serripes Groenlandicus), or half of the annual bivalve somatic production. Feeding at greater depths is negligible in comparison with their feeding in the bivalve-rich shallow waters.