The effect of heavy metals on thiocyanate biodegradation by an autotrophic microbial consortium enriched from mine tailings.

ABSTRACT: Bioremediation systems represent an environmentally sustainable approach to degrading industrially generated thiocyanate (SCN^-), with low energy demand and operational costs and high efficiency and substrate specificity. However, heavy metals present in mine tailings effluent may hamper process efficiency by poisoning thiocyanate-degrading microbial consortia. Here, we experimentally tested the tolerance of an autotrophic SCN^--degrading bacterial consortium enriched from gold mine tailings for Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and As. All of the selected metals inhibited SCN^- biodegradation to different extents, depending on concentration. At pH of 7.8 and 30 °C, complete inhibition of SCN^- biodegradation by Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr occurred at 20, 5, 10, and 6 mg L

SUBMITTER: Shafiei F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7778618 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature