title: Effect of Phospholipid on Pyrite Oxidation and Microbial Communities under Simulated Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Conditions.
abstract: The effect of phospholipid on the biogeochemistry of pyrite oxidation, which leads to acid mine drainage (AMD) chemistry in the environment, was investigated. Metagenomic analyses were carried out to understand how the microbial community structure, which developed during the oxidation of pyrite-containing coal mining overburden/waste rock (OWR), was affected by the presence of adsorbed phospholipid. Using columns packed with OWR (with and without lipid adsorption), the release of sulfate (SO4(2-)) and soluble iron (FeTot) was investigated. Exposure of lipid-free OWR to flowing pH-neutral water resulted in an acidic effluent with a pH range of 2-4.5 over a 3-year period. The average concentration of FeTot and SO4(2-) in the effluent was ≥20 and ≥30 mg/L, respectively. In contrast, in packed-column experiments where OWR was first treated with phospholipid, the effluent pH remained at ∼6.5 and the average concentrations of FeTot and SO4(2-) were ≤2 and l.6 mg/L, respectively. 16S rDNA metagenomic pyrosequencing analysis of the microbial communities associated with OWR samples revealed the development of AMD-like communities dominated by acidophilic sulfide-oxidizing bacteria on untreated OWR samples, but not on refuse pretreated with phospholipid.
authors.affiliation: †Temple University, Department of Chemistry, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Andro-Marc
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pierre Louis
authors.affiliation: ‡Temple University, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1947 N. 12th Sreet, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: †Temple University, Department of Chemistry, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Samantha L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Shumlas
authors.affiliation: ‡Temple University, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1947 N. 12th Sreet, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Aken
authors.affiliation: §Stony Brook University, Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States.
authors.forename: Martin A A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schoonen
authors.affiliation: †Temple University, Department of Chemistry, 1901 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Strongin
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D056186:Metagenomics; D064307:Microbiota; D008906:Mining; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013431:Sulfates / Q000032:analysis; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D013431:Sulfates; D013440:Sulfides; C011342:pyrite; D007501:Iron