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Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Geochemistry
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Biodegradation of pollutants in aquifers is limited by the separation of electron donors and acceptors.
  • Long-distance electron transfer (LDET) by cable bacteria has been observed in marine sediments.
  • Cable bacteria couple spatially separated redox reactions over centimeter scales.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and activity of sulfur-oxidizing cable bacteria in aquifer sediments.
  • To provide evidence for LDET in aquifer environments at oxic-anoxic interfaces.
  • To understand the role of cable bacteria in sulfate recycling and pollutant biodegradation.

Main Methods:

  • Sediment incubation experiments with hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer material.
  • Amendment with iron sulfide and exposure to air to create geochemical gradients.
  • Geochemical analysis (oxygen, sulfide, pH) and molecular identification (16S rRNA gene sequencing, FISH) of bacterial filaments.

Main Results:

  • Steep geochemical gradients (oxygen and sulfide separated by 9 mm) and characteristic pH profiles for sulfur oxidation by LDET were observed.
  • Abundant filamentous bacteria, identified as Desulfobulbaceae cable bacteria, were found in the suboxic zone.
  • Evidence suggests these cable bacteria facilitate direct sulfate recycling via electron transfer over 1-2 cm distances.

Conclusions:

  • Sulfur-oxidizing cable bacteria (Desulfobulbaceae) are present and active at oxic-anoxic interfaces in aquifer sediments.
  • LDET by cable bacteria can facilitate sulfate recycling and potentially contribute to pollutant biodegradation in aquifers.
  • These findings suggest LDET is an important biogeochemical process occurring in situ at the capillary fringe of contaminated aquifers.