Form and microbial metabolism of arsenic dissolved in acid mine water and soils.

Research Project

Project/Area Number	61560069
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	土壌・肥料
Research Institution	Iwater University
Principal Investigator	WAKAO Norio Iwate University ・ Assistant Professon, 農学部, 助手 (30003784)
Project Period (FY)	1986 – 1987
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1987)
Budget Amount *help	¥2,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000) Fiscal Year 1987: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000) Fiscal Year 1986: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
Keywords	Acid mine water / Arsenic / Arsenite oxidation / Arsenite-oxidizing bacteria / 硫化鉄鉱山 / 酸性鉱山水素 / 砒素酸化 / 砒素の微生物代謝
Research Abstract	1. Thionalide method was successfully applied to the differential analysis of soluble arsenic (arsenite and arsenate) in acid mine water form a sulfur-pyrite mine. 2. A large amount of arsenic was present in the acid mine water. The arsenic dissolved was predominantly in the form of arsenite (Aslll), but arsenite was rapidly changed to the form of arsenate. 3. The transformation of arsenic, arsenite to arsenate, was found to be ascribed to the activity of microorganisms living in the acid mine water. 4. Six strains of arsenite-oxidizing bacteria were finally isolated from the habitats and their many phenotypical and chemotaxomonical properties were investigated. As a result, the bacteria were strictly aerobic, acidophilic and heterotrophic bacteria. 5. The newly-isolated acidophilic arsenite-oxidizing bacteria were different form the arsenite-oxidizing bacteria hitherto reported, and were thought to be classified as a new genus, Acidiphilium.