Abstract
We collected cobbles covered in biofilm from High Ore Creek, Montana, placed them in 12 transparent PVC plastic chambers, and exposed the chambers to four treatments: Sunlight, Sunlight-occluded, DCMU (photosynthesis inhibited), and Formalin. Total aqueous zinc (Zn) concentrations in the Sunlight treatment decreased during the 4-h experiment and were significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) than in the other three treatments, in which the total aqueous Zn concentrations did not decrease significantly. Therefore, we believe photosynthesis in the biofilm played a role in causing total aqueous Zn concentrations in the Sunlight treatment to decrease, and we believe a similar process contributes to diel Zn cycling in High Ore Creek and some other metals-contaminated streams.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Drever, J. I. (1997). The geochemistry of natural waters: Surface and groundwater environments (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Morris, J. M. (2005). Mechanisms and effects of light-mediated zinc uptake by photosynthetic biofilm: Implications for diel metal cycling in mining-impacted streams. PhD dissertation. Laramie, WY, USA: University of Wyoming.
Morris, J. M., Farag, A. M., Nimick, D. A., & Meyer, J. S. (2006). Light-mediated Zn uptake in photosynthetic biofilm. Hydrobiology, 571, 361–371.
Morris, J. M., & Meyer, J. S. (2006). Extracellular and intracellular uptake of Zn in a photosynthetic biofilm matrix. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 77, 30–35.
Morris, J. M., Nimick, D. A., Farag, A. M., & Meyer, J. S. (2005). Does biofilm contribute to Diel cycling of Zn in high Ore Creek, Montana? Biogeochemistry, 76, 233–259.
Nimick, D. A., Gammons, C. H., Cleasby, T. E., Madison, J. P., Skaar, D., & Brick, C. M. (2003). Diel cycles in dissolved metal concentrations in streams – Occurrence and possible causes. Water Resources Research, 39(9). (Citation no. 1247, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/WR001571).
Podda, F., Zuddas, P., Minacci, A., Pepi, M., & Baldi, F. (2000). Heavy metal coprecipitation with hydrozincite [Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6] from mine waters caused by photosynthetic microorganisms. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 66, 5092–5098.
Schecher, W. D., & McAvoy, D. C. (1998). MINEQL+: Chemical equilibrium modeling system, version 4.0 for Windows. Hallowell, ME, USA: Environmental Research Software.
Zachara, J. M., Kittrick, J. A., Dake, L. S., & Harsh, J. B. (1989). Solubility and surface spectroscopy of zinc precipitates on calcite. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 53, 9–19.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Morris, J.M., Meyer, J.S. Photosynthetically Mediated Zn Removal from the Water Column in High Ore Creek, Montana. Water Air Soil Pollut 179, 391–395 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-006-9232-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-006-9232-9