Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Biogeochemical Conditions Favoring Magnetite Formation during Anaerobic Iron Reduction.

P E Bell1, A L Mills, J S Herman

  • 1Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|November 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Anaerobic bacteria in iron-rich sediments produce magnetite by altering environmental pH and redox conditions. Magnetite formation is favored at high pH, while low pH favors other iron forms.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Endemic species may have complex histories: within-refugium phylogeography of an endangered Iberian vole.

Molecular ecology·2016
Same author

Effects of ingesting mercury-containing bacteria on mercury tolerance and growth rates of ciliates.

Microbial ecology·2013
Same author

Effect of mineral composition on bacterial attachment to submerged rock surfaces.

Microbial ecology·2013
Same author

Changes in water and sediment bacterial community structure in a lake receiving acid mine drainage.

Microbial ecology·2013
Same author

The community structure of sessile heterotrophic bacteria stressed by acid mine drainage.

Microbial ecology·2013
Same author

Cryptic speciation in the field vole: a multilocus approach confirms three highly divergent lineages in Eurasia.

Molecular ecology·2012
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Geochemistry
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Anaerobic bacteria inhabit iron-rich environments like Contrary Creek sediments.
  • Microbial influence on mineral formation is a key area of geomicrobiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the conditions under which anaerobic bacteria produce magnetite.
  • To understand the role of environmental factors (pH, redox) in microbial magnetite synthesis.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing anaerobic bacteria in synthetic iron oxyhydroxide medium.
  • Manipulating carbon source availability to alter pH.
  • Analyzing iron speciation and mineral products using geochemical equilibrium modeling.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Magnetite was produced by bacterial consortia, not alone, in iron-rich media.
  • High pH (8.5) favored magnetite formation, while low pH (5.5) did not.
  • Geochemical modeling predicted magnetite dominance at high pH and other iron forms at low pH.

Conclusions:

  • Microbial alteration of local pH and redox potential drives magnetite formation.
  • Concurrent reduction of ferric iron is essential for magnetite synthesis.
  • Environmental conditions significantly influence biologically mediated iron oxide precipitation.