CINDEFI   05381
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO EN FERMENTACIONES INDUSTRIALES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
capítulos de libros
Título:
Microbial Generation of Acid Mine Drainage: Its Bioremediation in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Autor/es:
BENITEZ L.; PLAZA CAZON J.; WILLIS PORATTI G.; DONATI E.
Libro:
Bioremediation in Latin America
Editorial:
SPRINGER
Referencias:
Año: 2014; p. 165 - 178
Resumen:
Acid mine drainages are highly acidic toxic solutions with elevated
heavy metal concentrations. These acidic solutions are generated when rocks containing
pyrite and other metal sulfides are brought and exposed to oxygen and water.
The activity of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms which thrive at a pH
range of 1?4 can significantly catalyze that process and the resulting drainages produce
a strong impact on the mining region causing contamination to streams and
rivers and negative effects on the biodiversity. To reduce its impact, different physical,
chemical, and biological treatments are used together in natural and constructed
wetlands. Biosorption and bioprecipitation are two of the biological processes
within the wetlands. In the first case nonviable biomasses can be used to retain
heavy metals while in the second case the metals are precipitated as sulfides through
the action of sulfate-reducing microorganisms. In this chapter we describe the situation
in an abandoned silver?zinc?lead mine including acid mine drainage generation
by microbial action and the evaluation of its treatment using biosorption on
plant biomasses and bioprecipitation by sulfate-reducing bacteria