Volatilization and Recovery of Mercury from the Mercury-Polluted Soil Using Mercury-Resistant Strains of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 14580589
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 環境保全
• Research Institution: OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: TAKEUCHI Fumiaki OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY, Health and Environment Center, Associate Professor, 保健環境センター, 助教授 (90294446)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SUGIO Tsuyoshi OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Professor, 大学院・自然科学研究科, 教授 (20033269) ; KAMIMURA Kazuo OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Agriculture, Professor, 農学部, 教授 (80294445)
• Project Period (FY): 2002 – 2004
• Keywords: iron-oxidizing bacterium / Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans / Highly Mercury-Resistant / 水銀還元システム / mercury wastewater / Soil purification / Immobilized cells / organomercurial lyase Activity

Research Abstract

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans inhabits drainage in acid mines and plays a crucial role in the bacterial leaching of sulfide ores. A.ferrooxidans strains that have a high iron-oxidizing activity in the environment with many kinds of and high concentrations of heavy metals are required for microbiological leaching of low grade ores. A.ferrooxidans SUG 2-2 was isolated as a mercury-resistant strain among one hundred fifty A.ferrooxidans strains isolated from the natural environments. Interestingly, A.ferrooxidans SUG 2-2 has not only NADPH-dependent mercury reductase activity but also Fe^<2+>-dependent mercury reductase activity in the cells and cytochrome c oxidase purified from strain SUG 2-2 volatilizes mercury in the presence of Fe^<2+>
Although there are both advantages and disadvantages to the use of bioremediation, this technology has become more important in cleaning up and protecting the environment. This Study describes the development of a new bioremediation method, which uses strains from an acidophilic, chemolithotrophic, iron-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The bacterial strains decomposed and recovered metal mercury from mercury-polluted soil and wastewater.
In this Study, the author shows that mercury resistant A. ferrooxidans strains have a unique mercury volatilization system in the cells and are useful for the practical use for the bioremediation of mercury polluted soil and wastewater under acidic conditions. Although there are both advantages and disadvantages to the use of bioremediation technique, this ecologically sound natural process seems to become more important in cleaning up and protecting the environment.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] A new bench scale restoration method for a mercury-polluted soil with a mercury resistant Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain SUG 2-2 (2004)
  • Author(s): Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Takeuchi, F., Sugio, T., Kamimura, K.
  • Journal Title: BIOHYDROMETALLURGYP, Bioleaching Applications, Bioremediation Environmental Applications Part 1 Pages: 449-455
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Involvement of Fe^<2+> mercury volatilization enzyme system in mercury resistance of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain MON-1 (2004)
  • Author(s): Sugio, Takeuchi, F., Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Kamimura, K.
  • Journal Title: BIOHYDROMETALLURGYP, Biosorption, Microbiology Fundamentals, MolecularBiology and Taxonomy Part 2 Pages: 1305-1311
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] A new bench scale restoration method for a mercury-polluted soil with a mercury resistant Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain SUG 2-2 (2004)
  • Author(s): Negishi.A., Maeda, T., Takeuchi, F., Sugio, T., Kamimura, K.
  • Journal Title: BIOHYDROMETALLURGYP, Part 1,Bioleaching Applications, Bioremediation Environmental Applications (National Technical Univ.of Athens, Athens) Pages: 449-455
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Involvement of Fe^<2+> -dependent mercury volatilization enzyme system in mercury resistance of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain MON-1 (2004)
  • Author(s): Sugio, T., Fuji, M., Takeuchi, F., Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Kamimura, K.
  • Journal Title: BIOHYDROMETALLURGYP, Part 2, Biosorption, Microbiology Fundamentals, Molecular Biology and Taxonomy (National Technical Univ.of Athens, Athens) Pages: 1305-1311
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Volatilization and Recovery of Mercury from Mercury Wastewater Produced in the Course of Laboratory Work Using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans SUG 2-2 cells (2003)
  • Author(s): Takeuchi, F., Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Kamimura, K., Sugio, T
  • Journal Title: J.Biosci.Bloeng 95 Pages: 239-244
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Volatilization of Mercury by an Iron Oxidation Enzyme System in a Highly Mercury-resistant Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Strain MON-1 (2003)
  • Author(s): Sugio, T., Fujii, M., Takeuchi, F., Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Kamimura, K.
  • Journal Title: Biosci.Biotechnol.Biochem 67 Pages: 1537-1544
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Molecular diversity of cytochrome oxidase among molybdenum, mercury, sulfite and 2,4-dinitrophenol (2003)
  • Author(s): Sugio, T., Iwahori, K., Takai, M., Takeuchi, F., Kamimura, K
  • Journal Title: hydrometallurgy 71 Pages: 159-164
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Volatilization and Recovery of Mercury from Mercury Wastewater Produced in the Course of Laboratory Work Using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans SUG 2-2 cells (2003)
  • Author(s): Takeuchi, F., Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Kamimura, K., Sugio, T
  • Journal Title: J.Biosci.Bloeng. 95 Pages: 239-244
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Volatilization and Recovery of Mercury from Mercury Wastewater Produced in the Course of Laboratory Work Using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans SUG 2-2 cells. (2003)
  • Author(s): Takeuchi.F., Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Kamimura, K., Sugio, T.
  • Journal Title: J.Biosci.Bioeng. 95 Pages: 239-244
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Volatilization of Mercury by an Iron Oxidation Enzyme System in a Highly Mercury-resistant Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Strain MON-1. (2003)
  • Author(s): Sugio, T., Fujii, M., Takeuchi, F., Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Kamimura, K.
  • Journal Title: Biosci.Biotechnol.Biochem. 67 Pages: 1537-1544
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Molecular diversity of cytochrome oxidase among molybdenum, mercury, sulfite and 2,4-dinitrophenol. (2003)
  • Author(s): Sugio, T., Iwahori, K., Takai, M., Takeuchi, F., Kamimura, K.
  • Journal Title: hydrometallurgy 71 Pages: 159-164
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Volatilization and Recovery of Mercury from Mercury Wastewater Produced in the Course of Laboratory Work Using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans SUG 2-2 cells. (2003)
  • Author(s): Takeuchi, F., Negishi, A., Maeda, T., Kamimura, K., Sugio, T.
  • Journal Title: J.Biosci.Bioeng. 95 Pages: 239-244
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より