TY - JOUR

T1 - Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Bacillus subtilis Associated with Minerals Modify the Extent and Rate of Heavy Metal Sorption

AU - Mikutta, Robert

AU - Baumgärtner, Anja

AU - Schippers, Axel

AU - Haumaier, Ludwig

AU - Guggenberger, Georg

PY - 2012/3/23

Y1 - 2012/3/23

N2 - Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are an important source of organic matter in soil. Once released by microorganisms, a portion may be sorbed to mineral surfaces, thereby altering the mineral̀s ability to immobilize heavy metals. EPS from Bacillus subtilis were reacted with Ca-saturated bentonite and ferrihydrite in 0.01 M KCl at pH 5.0 to follow the preferential uptake of EPS-C, -N, and -P. The sorption kinetics of Pb2+, Cu 2+, and Zn2+ to the resulting EPS-mineral composites was studied in single and binary metal batch experiments ([metal]total = 50 μM, pH 5.0). Bentonite sorbed much more EPS-C (18.5 mg g-1) than ferrihydrite (7.9 mg g-1). During sorption, EPS were chemically and size fractionated with bentonite favoring the uptake of low-molecular weight components and EPS-N, and ferrihydrite selectively retaining high-molecular weight and P-rich components. Surface area and pore size measurements by N 2 gas adsorption at 77 K indicated that EPS altered the structure of mineral-EPS associations by inducing partial disaggregation of bentonite and aggregation of ferrihydrite. Whereas mineral-bound EPS increased the extent and rate of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ sorption for bentonite, either no effect or a decrease in metal uptake was observed for ferrihydrite. The extent of sorption always followed the order Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+, which also prevailed in binary Pb2+/Cu2+ systems. In consequence, sorption of EPS to different minerals may have contrasting consequences for the immobilization of heavy metals in natural environments by inducing mineral-specific alterations of the pore size distribution and, thus, of available sorption sites.

AB - Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are an important source of organic matter in soil. Once released by microorganisms, a portion may be sorbed to mineral surfaces, thereby altering the mineral̀s ability to immobilize heavy metals. EPS from Bacillus subtilis were reacted with Ca-saturated bentonite and ferrihydrite in 0.01 M KCl at pH 5.0 to follow the preferential uptake of EPS-C, -N, and -P. The sorption kinetics of Pb2+, Cu 2+, and Zn2+ to the resulting EPS-mineral composites was studied in single and binary metal batch experiments ([metal]total = 50 μM, pH 5.0). Bentonite sorbed much more EPS-C (18.5 mg g-1) than ferrihydrite (7.9 mg g-1). During sorption, EPS were chemically and size fractionated with bentonite favoring the uptake of low-molecular weight components and EPS-N, and ferrihydrite selectively retaining high-molecular weight and P-rich components. Surface area and pore size measurements by N 2 gas adsorption at 77 K indicated that EPS altered the structure of mineral-EPS associations by inducing partial disaggregation of bentonite and aggregation of ferrihydrite. Whereas mineral-bound EPS increased the extent and rate of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ sorption for bentonite, either no effect or a decrease in metal uptake was observed for ferrihydrite. The extent of sorption always followed the order Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+, which also prevailed in binary Pb2+/Cu2+ systems. In consequence, sorption of EPS to different minerals may have contrasting consequences for the immobilization of heavy metals in natural environments by inducing mineral-specific alterations of the pore size distribution and, thus, of available sorption sites.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859340030&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/es204471x

DO - 10.1021/es204471x

M3 - Article

C2 - 22443088

AN - SCOPUS:84859340030

VL - 46

SP - 3866

EP - 3873

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

SN - 0013-936X

IS - 7

ER -