An innovative approach to bioremediation of mercury contaminated soils from industrial mining operations.

McCarthy, D; Edwards, GC; Gustin, MS; Care, A; Miller, MB; Sunna, A

An innovative approach to bioremediation of mercury contaminated soils from industrial mining operations.

McCarthy, D Edwards, GC Gustin, MS Care, A

Miller, MB Sunna, A

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Publisher:: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Chemosphere, 2017, 184, pp. 694-699
Issue Date:: 2017-10

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	McCarthy, D
dc.contributor.author	Edwards, GC
dc.contributor.author	Gustin, MS
dc.contributor.author	Care, A https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0035-7961
dc.contributor.author	Miller, MB
dc.contributor.author	Sunna, A
dc.date.accessioned	2022-03-25T05:08:53Z
dc.date.available	2017-06-13
dc.date.available	2022-03-25T05:08:53Z
dc.date.issued	2017-10
dc.identifier.citation	Chemosphere, 2017, 184, pp. 694-699
dc.identifier.issn	0045-6535
dc.identifier.issn	1879-1298
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155574
dc.description.abstract	Soils contaminated with mercury (Hg) have proved expensive and logistically difficult to remediate. Research continues into finding suitable environmentally-friendly and efficient ways of achieving this end. Bioremediation is an option, which employs the strategies microorganisms have evolved to deal with Hg. One microbial strategy involves uptake and intracellular volatilisation of mercuric ions, which passively diffuse from the cell and back into the atmosphere. In this work, Pseudomonas veronii cells grown to stationary phase were immobilised in a xanthan gum-based biopolymer via encapsulation. The P. veronii-biopolymer mix was then coated onto natural zeolite granules. Zeolite immobilised cells remained viable for at least 16 weeks stored under ambient room temperature. Furthermore, the immobilised cells were shown to retain both viability and Hg volatilisation functionality after transportation from Australia to the USA, where they were applied to Hg contaminated soil. Maximum flux rates exceeded 10 μg Hg m2 h-1 from mine tailings (≈7 mg kg-1 Hg with 50% v/v water). This was 4 orders of magnitude above background flux levels. It is envisioned that emitted gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) can be readily captured, and transformed back into metallic Hg, which can then be stored appropriately or recycled. This breaks the Hg cycle, as GEM is no longer translocated back to the atmospheric compartment. The immobilising excipients used in this research overcome many logistical issues with delivery of suitable microbial loads to locations of mercury contamination and presents a facile and inexpensive method of augmenting contaminated sites with selected microbial consortia for bioremediation.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
dc.relation.ispartof	Chemosphere
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.06.051
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
dc.subject.mesh	Atmosphere
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Biodegradation, Environmental
dc.subject.mesh	Environmental Monitoring
dc.subject.mesh	Mercury
dc.subject.mesh	Mining
dc.subject.mesh	Soil
dc.subject.mesh	Soil Microbiology
dc.subject.mesh	Soil Pollutants
dc.subject.mesh	Volatilization
dc.subject.mesh	Mercury
dc.subject.mesh	Soil
dc.subject.mesh	Soil Pollutants
dc.subject.mesh	Soil Microbiology
dc.subject.mesh	Atmosphere
dc.subject.mesh	Environmental Monitoring
dc.subject.mesh	Volatilization
dc.subject.mesh	Mining
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Biodegradation, Environmental
dc.title	An innovative approach to bioremediation of mercury contaminated soils from industrial mining operations.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	184
utslib.location.activity	England
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-03-25T05:08:52Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	184

Abstract:

Soils contaminated with mercury (Hg) have proved expensive and logistically difficult to remediate. Research continues into finding suitable environmentally-friendly and efficient ways of achieving this end. Bioremediation is an option, which employs the strategies microorganisms have evolved to deal with Hg. One microbial strategy involves uptake and intracellular volatilisation of mercuric ions, which passively diffuse from the cell and back into the atmosphere. In this work, Pseudomonas veronii cells grown to stationary phase were immobilised in a xanthan gum-based biopolymer via encapsulation. The P. veronii-biopolymer mix was then coated onto natural zeolite granules. Zeolite immobilised cells remained viable for at least 16 weeks stored under ambient room temperature. Furthermore, the immobilised cells were shown to retain both viability and Hg volatilisation functionality after transportation from Australia to the USA, where they were applied to Hg contaminated soil. Maximum flux rates exceeded 10 μg Hg m2 h-1 from mine tailings (≈7 mg kg-1 Hg with 50% v/v water). This was 4 orders of magnitude above background flux levels. It is envisioned that emitted gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) can be readily captured, and transformed back into metallic Hg, which can then be stored appropriately or recycled. This breaks the Hg cycle, as GEM is no longer translocated back to the atmospheric compartment. The immobilising excipients used in this research overcome many logistical issues with delivery of suitable microbial loads to locations of mercury contamination and presents a facile and inexpensive method of augmenting contaminated sites with selected microbial consortia for bioremediation.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155574