Abstract
Steelmaking slags are a promising resource as artificial seaweed beds for the reconstitution of marine environments. To grow seaweed well, the formation of biofilms is an essential process in biofouling. This study focused on the formation of initial biofilms on steelmaking slag samples and analyzed the resulting bacterial communities using the next-generation sequencing technique. Three types of steelmaking slag were submerged in an area of Ise Bay in Mie Prefecture, Japan, for 3 and 7 days in the summer and winter seasons to allow the formation of biofilms. The bacterial communities of these biofilms were richer in sulfur-oxidizing bacteria compared to the biofilms formed on polyurethane sponges. It was found that Helicobacteraceae dominantly grew on the biofilms formed on the slag samples. This shows that steelmaking slags have potential to be used as artificial seaweed beds and marine water purifiers.
Highlights
Almost all iron and steel slags are used as a raw material for cement production, concrete aggregates, ground improvements, and so on [1]
We focused on the early stage of biofilm formation on the surface of the steelmaking slag in the ocean
This study focused on the relatively initial formation of biofilms on steelmaking slags in a marine environment since it is a crucial step in biofouling in the establishment of seaweed beds
Summary
Almost all iron and steel slags are used as a raw material for cement production, concrete aggregates, ground improvements, and so on [1]. In JFE steel Co., Miyata et al performed long-term verification tests on steelmaking slag employed in a marine block in In-no-Shima Island (Hiroshima, Japan) for several years They found that the steelmaking slag was a suitable bed (basement) for growing algae and an effective source of nutrients for them [6,7,8]. They observed various benthic organisms, including rare species and fishes, in the tested area [9], which suggests that steelmaking slag is a good candidate for marine blocks. Biofouling is a vital process in the (re)generation of seaweed beds in marine environments It involves the growth and attachment of organisms from bacteria to macroalgae and shellfish [15]. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology was employed to analyze the formed biofilms, where both the culturable and unculturable bacteria could be detected
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