Groundwater chromate removal by autotrophic sulfur disproportionation.

ABSTRACT: Chromate [Cr(VI)] contamination in groundwater is a global environmental challenge. Traditional elemental sulfur-based biotechnologies for Cr(VI) removal depend heavily on the synthesis of dissolved organic carbon to fuel heterotrophic Cr(VI) reduction, a bottleneck in the remediation process. Here we show an alternative approach by leveraging sulfur-disproportionating bacteria (SDB) inherent to groundwater ecosystems, offering a novel and efficient Cr(VI) removal strategy. We implemented SDB within a sulfur-packed bed reactor for treating Cr(VI)-contaminated groundwater, achieving a notable removal rate of 6.19 mg L^-1 h^-1 under oligotrophic conditions. We identified the chemical reduction of Cr(VI) via sulfide, produced through sulfur disproportionation, as a key mec

SUBMITTER: Qiu YY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10926293 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature