We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Microbial Acid Sulfate Weathering of Basaltic Rocks: Implication for Enzymatic Reactions.
- Authors
Sekerci, Fatih; Balci, Nurgul
- Abstract
Two basaltic rocks were reacted in acid sulfate and non-acid sulfate solutions with an initial pH value of 2 in the presence and absence of A. ferrooxidans to determine if basalt dissolution can support the metabolically active growth of A. ferrooxidans. Similar elemental release rates (RSi, RCa, RMg) calculated for both biotic and abiotic experiments suggest rather a negligible microbial impact on the dissolution of basaltic rocks within the acid sulfate solution. Nevertheless, in contrast with the abiotic experiments, measurements of remarkably high concentration of Fe(III)aq in microbial experiments confirmed the bacterial metabolism. Moreover, detected cell division and increasing total cell numbers with the extent of the experiments provide further evidence for the growth of metabolically active A. ferrooxidans during the dissolution of the rocks. Formation of jarosite ((K, Na, H3O)Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6) only in the biotic experiments is attributed to the microbially catalyzed Fe(II)aq oxidation. Overall, our results showed that acidic solutions that reacted with basaltic rocks can sustain the growth of Fe(II)aq oxidizing bacteria. Furthermore, identification of jarosite only in the biotic experiments emphasizes the enzymatic Fe(II) oxidation as the key step for its formation during basalt weathering at acid conditions, highlighting its biosignature potential on Earth and Earth-like planets (e.g., Mars).
- Subjects
BASALT; WEATHERING; HABITABLE planets; BACTERIAL metabolism; SULFATES; ACIDS; HEPARAN sulfate
- Publication
Aquatic Geochemistry, 2022, Vol 28, Issue 3/4, p155
- ISSN
1380-6165
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10498-022-09407-8