title: Electricity generation from an inorganic sulfur compound containing mining wastewater by acidophilic microorganisms.
abstract: Sulfide mineral processing often produces large quantities of wastewaters containing acid-generating inorganic sulfur compounds. If released untreated, these wastewaters can cause catastrophic environmental damage. In this study, microbial fuel cells were inoculated with acidophilic microorganisms to investigate whether inorganic sulfur compound oxidation can generate an electrical current. Cyclic voltammetry suggested that acidophilic microorganisms mediated electron transfer to the anode, and that electricity generation was catalyzed by microorganisms. A cation exchange membrane microbial fuel cell, fed with artificial wastewater containing tetrathionate as electron donor, reached a maximum whole cell voltage of 72 ± 9 mV. Stepwise replacement of the artificial anolyte with real mining process wastewater had no adverse effect on bioelectrochemical performance and generated a maximum voltage of 105 ± 42 mV. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the microbial consortia resulted in sequences that aligned within the genera Thermoplasma, Ferroplasma, Leptospirillum, Sulfobacillus and Acidithiobacillus. This study opens up possibilities to bioremediate mining wastewater using microbial fuel cell technology.
authors.affiliation: Center for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden. Electronic address: gaofeng.ni@lnu.se.
authors.forename: Gaofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Center for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden. Electronic address: stephan.christel@lnu.se.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Christel
authors.affiliation: Sub-Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, PO Box 17, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Wetsus, European Center of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Pawel.Roman@wetsus.nl.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: Center for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden. Electronic address: zhen.wong07@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Zhen Lim
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Wetsus, European Center of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology, Oostergoweg 9, 8911 MA, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Martijn.Bijmans@wetsus.nl.
authors.forename: Martijn F M
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Bijmans
authors.affiliation: Center for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden. Electronic address: mark.dopson@lnu.se.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dopson
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D058448:Biota; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004560:Electricity; D008906:Mining / Q000379:methods; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013457:Sulfur Compounds; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Acidophile; Electricity generation; Microbial fuel cell; Mining; Wastewater