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Updated: Apr 4, 2026

A Dual-Functional Electroactive Filter Towards Simultaneously SbIII Oxidation and Sequestration
Published on: December 5, 2019
Anaerobic antimony oxidation by mine groundwater bacteria: The energy-detoxification trade off governed by carbon
Weiqi Wang1, Min Li2, Xiaoyan Liu2
1Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiaxing 314100, China; State Key Laboratory of Geomicrobiology and Environmental Changes, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Abstract:
Microorganisms drive anaerobic antimony (Sb) oxidation and detoxification in groundwater, how carbon source (organic vs. inorganic) regulates this process and shapes microbial adaptive strategies remains unclear. To fill this knowledge gap, microcosms were conducted with groundwater from Xikuangshan mining-area, integrating with hydrochemistry, genes quantification, and metagenomics. The results demonstrated efficient anaerobic Sb(III) oxidation coupled with NO3- reduction, regulated synergistically by Sb concentration and carbon sources. The concentration of 0.5 mM Sb(III) served as a critical threshold that triggered changes in bacterial diversity, composition, and Sb(III)-oxidation behavior. Below this, NaHCO3 promoted higher oxidation rates (P < 0.05), linked to enrichment of Hydrogenophaga, Aquabacterium, Acidovorax, and aioA genes (Sb-oxidizing gene). Above 0.7 mM Sb(III), Na-lactate activated aioA and narrowed the rate gap, accompanied by increases in both abundance and niche of Dechloromonas. In addition, elevated Sb stress reshaped the metabolic networks across microcosms. The communities prioritized energy allocation to nitrogen fixation (nifH) with multiple benefits over redundant carbon fixation (cbbL). This research expands the known range of Sb and carbon drive microbial metabolic remodeling, advancing our predictive understanding of Sb biogeochemical cycling in contaminated aquifers.
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