Mechanisms and effectivity of sulfate reducing bioreactors using a chitinous substrate in treating mining influenced water.

ABSTRACT: Mining-influenced water (MIW) is one of the main environmental challenges associated with the mining industry. Passive MIW remediation can be achieved through microbial activity in sulfate-reducing bioreactors (SRBRs), but their actual removal rates depend on different factors, one of which is the substrate composition. Chitinous materials have demonstrated high metal removal rates, particularly for the two recalcitrant MIW contaminants Zn and Mn, but their removal mechanisms need further study. We studied Cd, Fe, Zn, and Mn removal in bioactive and abiotic SRBRs to elucidate the metal removal mechanisms and the differences in metal and sulfate removal rates using a chitinous material as substrate. We found that sulfate-reducing bacteria are effective in increasing metal and sulfate remova

SUBMITTER: Al-Abed SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6145482 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature