Subsurface geomicrobiology of the Iberian Pyritic Belt,preliminary results

摘要：

Primary results of a drilling project in the Iberian Pyritic Belt (IPB) show that groundwater, upon contact with volcanic hosted massive sulfidic (VHMS) deposits set in motion a series of biotic and abiotic processes that removed oxygen thus oxidizing iron and generating acidity. The detected electron acceptors available for microbial metabolism include oxygen, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, ferric iron and C02 and the electron donors include ferrous iron, sulfides and hydrogen. These conditions can support a population of microaerophilic sulfide oxidizers and denitrifying autotrophs. As the fluids become more reduced, methanogens and sulfate reducers, using hydrogen as an electron donor, become the dominant microbial processes. The system is driven by oxidants that appear to be provided by the rock matrix, in contrast to conventional AMD model systems. Only groundwater is needed to launch microbial metabolism. The hypothesis that microorganisms are active in the subsurface of the IPB and generate the extreme conditions detected in the Rio Tinto headwaters has been confirmed by these findings. To our knowledge, this is the first time a subsurface ecosystem within an undisturbed massive sulfide deposit has been observed and the H2 and CH4 produced shows that a variety of resources are available to support anaerobic respiration in the subsurface, within the ore body as well as down-gradient. A thorough understanding of the metabolisms operating in the subsurface of sulfidic ore bodies is critical to the design of efficient biohydrometallurgical operations.

关键词： Iberian Pyritic Belt subsurface geomicrobiology iron oxidation massive sulfide deposits hydrogen methanogenesis biohydrometallurgy

作者: Ricardo Amils David Ferdndez-Remolar Felipe Gomez Elena Gonzdlez-Toril Nuria Rodriguez Jose Luis Sanz Todd O. Steven MARTE Team

作者单位: CBMSO(CSIC-UAM), U. Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain Centra de Astrobiologia, C Centra de Astrobiologia, CSIC-INTA, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Spain Departamento de Biologia Molecular, U. Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco 28049 Madrid, Spain Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

会议类型: 国际会议

会议名称: The 19th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium(第19届国际生物湿法冶金大会 IBS2011)

会议地点: 长沙

会议语种:英文

页码: 946-951

在线出版日期: 2011-09-18（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）