TY - JOUR
T1 - Advantageous microbial community development and improved performance of pilot-scale field systems treating high-risk acid mine drainage with crab shell
AU - Lin, Yishan
AU - Grembi, Jessica A.
AU - Goots, Sara S.
AU - Sebastian, Aswathy
AU - Albert, István
AU - Brennan, Rachel A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2021/10/15
Y1 - 2021/10/15
N2 - Microbial communities are crucial to the effectiveness and stability of bioremediation systems treating acid mine drainage (AMD); however, little research has addressed how they correlate to system performance under changing environmental conditions. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were used to characterize microbial communities within different substrate combinations of crab shell (CS) and spent mushroom compost (SMC) and their association with chemical performance in pilot-scale vertical flow ponds (VFPs) treating high risk AMD in central Pennsylvania over 643 days of operation. As compared to a control containing SMC, VFPs containing CS sustained higher alkalinity, higher sulfate-reducing rates, and more thorough metals removal (>90% for Fe and Al, >50% for Mn and Zn). Correspondingly, CS VFPs supported the growth of microorganisms in key functional groups at increasing abundance and diversity over time, especially more diverse sulfate-reducing bacteria. Through changing seasonal and operational conditions over almost two years, the relative abundance of the core phyla shifted in all reactors, but the smallest changes in functional gene copies were observed in VFPs containing CS. These results suggest that the high diversity and stability of microbial communities associated with CS are consistent with effective AMD treatment.
AB - Microbial communities are crucial to the effectiveness and stability of bioremediation systems treating acid mine drainage (AMD); however, little research has addressed how they correlate to system performance under changing environmental conditions. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were used to characterize microbial communities within different substrate combinations of crab shell (CS) and spent mushroom compost (SMC) and their association with chemical performance in pilot-scale vertical flow ponds (VFPs) treating high risk AMD in central Pennsylvania over 643 days of operation. As compared to a control containing SMC, VFPs containing CS sustained higher alkalinity, higher sulfate-reducing rates, and more thorough metals removal (>90% for Fe and Al, >50% for Mn and Zn). Correspondingly, CS VFPs supported the growth of microorganisms in key functional groups at increasing abundance and diversity over time, especially more diverse sulfate-reducing bacteria. Through changing seasonal and operational conditions over almost two years, the relative abundance of the core phyla shifted in all reactors, but the smallest changes in functional gene copies were observed in VFPs containing CS. These results suggest that the high diversity and stability of microbial communities associated with CS are consistent with effective AMD treatment.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126665
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126665
M3 - Article
C2 - 34351284
AN - SCOPUS:85110637044
SN - 0304-3894
VL - 420
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
M1 - 126665
ER -