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Zn biomineralization processes and microbial biofilm in a metal-rich stream (Naracauli, Sardinia)

  • Using microbes for the regulation of heavy metal mobility at ecosystem and landscape scale
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An Erratum to this article was published on 28 November 2013

Abstract

Several decades after the closure of the Ingurtosu mine (SW Sardinia), a variety of seasonal Zn biomineralizations occurs. In this work, waters, microbial consortia, and seasonal precipitates from the Naracauli stream were sampled to investigate chemical composition of stream waters and biominerals, and microbial strain identity. Molecular and morphological analysis revealed that activity of dominant cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya frigida results in precipitation of Zn silicate. The activity of the cyanobacterium was associated to other bacteria and many kind of diatoms, such as Halamphora subsalina and Encyonopsis microcephala, which are trapped in the process of biomineral growth. In this work, the precipitation process is shown to be the result of many different parameters such as hydrologic regime, microbial community adaptation, and biological mediation. It results in a decrease of dissolved Zn in the stream water, and is a potential tool for Zn pollution abatement.

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Acknowledgments

We greatly acknowledge Dr. Jim Ehrman and Prof. Irena Kaczmarska-Ehrman (Mount Allison University, Sackville, Canada) and Dr. Douglas Zook (Boston University, USA) for the comments on the manuscript. This research was carried out under the European project UMBRELLA (FP7-ENV-2008-1 no. 226870) and Polish project SPUB/COST 870 (197/N-COST/2008/0). Rainfall data were kindly provided by hydrological service of Regione Autonoma della Sardegna. Two anonymous reviewers are greatly appreciated for their suggestions and criticism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09127, Cagliari, Italy

    F. Podda, D. Medas & G. De Giudici

  2. Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland

    P. Ryszka & K. Turnau

  3. Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512, Kraków, Poland

    K. Wolowski

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  1. F. Podda
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  2. D. Medas
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  3. G. De Giudici
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  6. K. Turnau
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Correspondence to D. Medas.

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Podda, F., Medas, D., De Giudici, G. et al. Zn biomineralization processes and microbial biofilm in a metal-rich stream (Naracauli, Sardinia). Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 6793–6808 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1987-0

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