Chemical and Microbiological Composition of Technogenic Waters in the Tailing Dumps of Krasnorechensk Ore-dressing Plant (Primorsky Krai, Russia)

Abstract

Chemical composition, distribution and quantity of chemolytotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms as well as some of their ecologo-physiological properties have been studied in the technogenic waters of tailing dumps. It has been shown that technogenic waters exhibit low values of pH (2.8 to 6.1), high mineralization (up to 5.6 g/l) and high content of trace elements. Microbiological analysis has shown that a wide spectrum of microorganisms is involved in destruction of sulfate-containing minerals. Technogenic waters of tailing dumps contain autotrophic thionic and sulfate-reducing bacteria, autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrifiers, ammonifiers, heterotrophic manganese and iron-oxidizing bacteria, saprophyte microorganisms and microscopic fungi. Thionic and sulfate-reducing bacteria were most numerous in the waters under study thus indicating the processes of sulfur bacterial oxidation and reduction in the tailing dumps. Microbiocoenosis of the tailing dumps has failed to show a high qualitative diversity. Among the thionic bacteria there were Thiobacillus thiooxidans, Th. intermedius, Th. ferooxidans and Th. acidophilus. Microscopic fungi included Aspergillus, Penicillum, Mucor. The heterotrophic saprophyte microorganisms were predominantly gram-positive Bacillus sp. The isolated heterotrophic bacteria grew at the wide temperature and pH ranges and showed high resistance to heavy metals.