Diagenesis of metals chemically complexed to bacteria: laboratory formation of metal phosphates, sulfides, and organic condensates in artificial sediments.
Cells of Bacillus subtilis, when suspended in a 5mM metal solution, bind metals tenaciously to their cell walls. These metal-loaded cells, when mixed with a synthetic sediment and put under laboratory conditions to simulate low-temperature sediment diagenesis, nucleate the formation of a mixed assemblage of crystalline metal phosphates, metal sulfides, and polymeric, metal-complexed, organic residues. The sequential series of diagenetic events leading to the formation of authigenic mineral phases was followed by transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The minerals quartz (SiO(2)) and calcite (CaCO(3)) were employed in the synthetic sediment. Crystalline magnetite (Fe(2)O(3)) and elemental sulfur were added as redox buffering agents to ensure anoxic conditions. Quartz and magnetite appeared unreactive throughout the experimental conditions. Elemental sulfur interacted with the metal-loaded cells, affected both the eventual chemistry and crystal habit of the metal phosphates, and formed a variety of crystalline metal sulfides. Calcite raised the pH of the fluid phase of the sediment, which influenced phosphate mineralization and inhibited metal sulfide genesis.
Beveridge
T J
TJ
Department of Microbiology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, NIG 2W1; Petro Canada Research Laboratories, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4 ; Department of Geology and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada.
Meloche
J D
JD
Fyfe
W S
WS
Murray
R G
RG