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Metal Interactions with Microbial Biofilms in Acidic and Neutral pH Environments.

F G Ferris1, S Schultze, T C Witten

  • 1Department of Geology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, and Department of Microbiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|May 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary

Microbial biofilms effectively bind metals like Mn, Fe, Ni, and Cu in mine waste-contaminated waters. Neutral pH significantly enhances biofilm metal adsorption compared to acidic conditions.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Geochemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Mine wastes release metals into aquatic ecosystems, impacting water quality.
  • Microbial biofilms play a crucial role in metal cycling and sequestration in contaminated environments.
  • Understanding biofilm metal adsorption is vital for bioremediation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of pH on metal binding by microbial biofilms in mine-impacted waters.
  • To quantify metal adsorption capacities of biofilms under acidic and neutral conditions.
  • To characterize the mineral precipitates formed within biofilms at different pH levels.

Main Methods:

  • Biofilms were cultivated on filter paper strips in mine-contaminated waters at acidic (pH 3.1) and neutral pH sites.

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  • Planktonic and biofilm bacterial counts were determined over 17 weeks.
  • Metal adsorption by biofilms was compared to controls using nylon filters.
  • Conditional adsorption capacity constants and adsorption strength values were calculated.
  • Biofilm morphology and mineral precipitates were analyzed using thin sections and electron diffraction.

    • Main Results:

    • Biofilm counts reached 10^9 CFU/cm^2 at neutral pH and 10^8 CFU/cm^2 at acidic sites.
    • Biofilms effectively bound Mn, Fe, Ni, and Cu, with Co binding observed only at neutral pH.
    • Metal uptake and adsorption strength were significantly higher (up to 12 orders of magnitude) at neutral pH.
    • Iron oxide precipitates (ferrihydrite) were observed in biofilms, with morphology varying by pH (granular at neutral, acicular at acidic).

    Conclusions:

    • Biofilm formation is a significant factor in metal sequestration in mine-contaminated aquatic systems.
    • Neutral pH conditions dramatically enhance the metal-binding capacity of microbial biofilms.
    • The pH-dependent formation of mineral precipitates within biofilms influences metal adsorption mechanisms.