Using Mouteh Goldmine soil’s cyanobacteria for bioremediation of tailing dam soil

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Arid Land and Desert Management, Faculty of Natural Resourses, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

3 Research and Development Division, Mouteh Gold Complex, Meymeh, Isfehan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Natural and human activities lead to soil degradation and soil salinization. In the last two centuries, world metal pollution level has increased extremely. The presence of some heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems is a constant threat to the health of human societies. The decrease of farmlands threatens food security. There are approximately one billion ha salt-affected soils all over of world, which can be utilizable after chemical, physical and biological remediation. Many mines in the world and also in Iran exist and as a result, soil erosion and dust release from waste dams is a matter of concern. Bioremediation using biological agents to detoxify and degradation of environmental pollutants provides a suitable alternative method for substitution of current heavy metals removal strategies..
Material and methods: As a result of extraction operations by cyanidation in Mouteh gold mining complex, wastewater and waste soil sediment are widely achieved. In this study soil samples were collected from Mouteh Goldmine tailing dam soil in September 2018. The collected soil samples were cultured in BG11 medium and incubated for microalgae identification and biomass production. Also, 5 g soil was inoculated with 0.5 g biomass of cyanobacteria and the physicochemical characteristics of the soil including pH, Na, K, Pb, and Cd, before and after the inoculation of soil with cyanobacteria were determined.
Results and discussion: In this study, cyanobacteria Phormidium tenue Gomont, Osillatoria tenuis C.Agardh ex Gomont, Lyngbya aestuarii Liebman ex Gomont and the green alga, Scenedesmus obliquus (Turpin) Kützing were identified. Culture results of filamentous cyanobacteria on goldmine tailing dam soil showed that cyanobacteria grew easily and produced a significant surface crust. The results of the physical analysis of the soil samples showed that O. tenuis decreased Na as a salinity element, and P. tenue absorbed high amounts of Pb as a heavy metal pollution element. Mouteh Goldmine soil cyanobacteria, Osillatoria tenuis and Phormidium tenue, could play a role in mine recovery from salinity and heavy metals and in mine tailing dam soil bioremediation. They can also prevent soil erosion and dust release from waste dams.
 Conclusion: Dust release from waste dams can affect the health of living organisms like mining workers, plants, and even soil microalgae that are close to the mine. Cyanobacteria create biological soil crust and the results of this research showed that cyanobacteria, especially Phormidium tenue species produced a bio-crust that prevent soil erosion.

Keywords


Alizade, A.M., 2014. Sustainable development is a key pillar of environmental protection. In Proceedings 1st National Conference on Sustainable Management of Soil and Environmental Resources, 10ᵗʰ September, Kerman, Iran. Pages 15-19.  
Baptista, M.S. and Vasconcelos, M., 2006. Cyanobacteria metal interactions: Requirements, toxicity and ecological implications. Critical Reviews in Microbiology. 32(3), 127-137.
Bates, S.S., Tessier, A., Campbell, P.G.C.and Buffle, J., 1982. Zinc adsorption and transport by Chlamydomonas variabilis and Scenedesmus subspicatus (Chlorophyceae) grown in semicontinuous culture. Journal of Phycology. 18(4), 521-529.
Bhatnagar, S. and Kumari, R., 2013. Bioremediation: A sustainable tool for environmental management: A review. Annual Research and Review in Biology. 3(4), 974-993.
Blindauer, C.A., Harrison, M.D., Robinson, A.K., Parkinson, J.A., Bowness, P.W., Sadler, P.J.and Robinson, N.J., 2002. Multiple bacteria encode metallothioneins and SmtA-like zinc fingers. Molecular Microbiology. 45(5), 1421-1432.
Chamizo, S., Mugnai G., Rossi, F., Certini, G. and De Philippis, R., 2018. Cyanobacteria inoculation improves soil stability and fertility on different textured soils: Gaining insights for applicability in soil restoration. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 6, 49.
Chehreghani, S., Karimi Aghsghali, J. and Hosseinzade, H., 2017. The effect of goldmining on environment, Agh-dare goldmine, Takab. In Proceedings  4th International Conference on Environmental Planning and Management. Pages 32-41.
Chekroun, K.B., Moumen, A., Rezzoum, N., Sánchez, E. and Baghour, M., 2013a. Role of macroalgae in biomonitoring of pollution in «Marchica», the Nador lagoon. Phyton, International Journal of Experimental Botany. 82, 31-34.
Chekroun, K.B. and Baghour, M., 2013b. The role of algae in phytoremediation of heavy metals: A review. Journal of Materials and Environmental Science. 4(6), 873-880.
Desikachary, T.V., 1959. Cyanophyta. Indian Council of Agricultural Research. New Delhi. 684 pp.
Dixit, R., Malaviya, D., Pandiyan, K., Singh, U.B., Sahu, A., Shukla, R., Singh, B.P., Rai, J.P., Sharma, P.K. and Lade, H., 2015. Bioremediation of heavy metals from soil and aquatic environment: An overview of principles and criteria of fundamental processes. Sustainability.7(2), 2189-2212.
Faramarzi, M.A., Forootanfar, H.  and Shakibaei, M., 2010. Biotechnology of Microalgae. University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran. 398 pp.
Fashola, M.O., Ngole-Jeme, V.M. and Babalola, O.O., 2016. Heavy metal pollution from gold mines: Environmental effects and bacterial strategies for resistance. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.13(11), 1047.
Fogg, G.E., Stewart, W., Fay, P. and Walsby, A., 1973. The blue-green algae. Academic Press, London and New York. 460 pp.
Fu, F. and Wang, Q., 2011. Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: A review. Journal of Environmental Management. 92(3), 407-418.
Ghanbarzade, H., Behniafar, A. and Farhadi, M., 2013. The effects of gold mining on the biological environment (Case study: Sebandoon, Bardaskan city). The First National Conference on Environment, Energy and Biodefense, 31ᵗʰ December, Tehran, Iran. Pages 36-43.
Guo, H., Luo, S., Chen, L., Xiao, X., Xi, Q., Wei, W., Zeng, G., Liu, C., Wan, Y. and Chen, J., 2010. Bioremediation of heavy metals by growing hyper accumulaor endophytic bacterium Bacillus sp. L14. Bioresource Technology.101(22), 8599-8605.
Gupta, C. and Kulkarni, P., 2016. A comparative study on Nostoc and Oscillatoria spp. for heavy metal tolerance and biomass production.  National Journal of Life Science. 13(2), 147-150.
Halder, S., 2014. Bioremediation of heavy metals through fresh water microalgae: a review. Scholars Academic Journal of Biosciences. 2(11), 825–830.
Hokmollahi, F., Riahi, H., Soltani, N., Shariatmadari, Z., and Hakimi, M.H., 2015. A taxonomic study of blue-green algae based on morphological, physiological and molecular characterization in Yazd province terrestrial ecosystems (Iran). Rostaniha 16(2): 152-163.
Hokmollahi, F., 2017. The flora study of soil blue-green algae in Yazd province, Iran. Ph.D. Thesis. Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. 101pp.
Islami, A. and Nemati, R., 2015. Investigation of heavy metalsremoval from aqueous media using bioremediation technology: A review. Journal of Health in the Field. 2(3), 43-51.
Kaushik, B.D. and Subhashini, D., 1985. Amelioration of salt affected soils with blue-green algae. II. Improvement in soil properties. Proceedings of Indian National Science Academy. 51, 380-389.
Khamar, Z., Makhdoumi-Kakhki, A. and Mahmudy Gharaie, M.H., 2015. Remediation of cyanide from the gold mine tailing pond by a novel bacterial co-culture. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation. 99, 123-128.
Komarek, J. and Anagnostidis, K., 1998. Cyanoprokaryota 1. Teil: Chroococcales. In: Ettl H. In: Heidelberg, Berlin: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag. 548 pp.
Komarek, J. and Anagnostidis, K., 2005. Cyanoprokaryota 2. Teil/2nd Part: Oscillatoriales: Elsevier, München. p. 759.
Kumar, D. and Gaur, J.P., 2011. Metal biosorption by two cyanobacterial mats in relation to pH, biomassconcentration, pretreatment and reuse. Bioresource Technology. 102(3), 2529-2535.
Lefebvre, D.D. and Edwards, C.D., 2010. Decontaminating heavy metals using photosynthetic microbes. In: Shah V, editor. Emerging Environmental Technologies. New York: Springer. Volume II, pp. 57-73.
Parwani, L., Bhatt, M., and Singh, J., 2021. Potential Biotechnological Applications of Cyanobacterial Exopolysaccharides. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology. Vol.64: e21200401.
Prescott, G.W., 1962. Algae of the Westerrn Great Lakes Area.Wm. C. In: Brown Company Publishers, Dubuque, Iowa. 560 pp.
Rai, L.C., Tyagi, B., Rai, P.K. and Mallick, N., 1998. Interactive effects of UV-B and heavy metal (Cu and Pb) on nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism of a N2 fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena doliolum. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 39(3), 221–223.
Safaei Katoli, M., Amir Latifi, F., Hosseini, Z. and Shokravi, S., 2007. Ecophysiological effects of soil cyanobacteria Nostoc sp. As an indicator of saline soil remediation and evaluation of growth and survival and ammonium emission potential and pigment content in high temperature conditions. 6th National Conference on Science, 14ᵗʰ November, Ray, Iran. Pages 132-145.
Salajeghe Ansari, M.M., 2013. Ecological-systematic study of cyanobacteria in some aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of Kerman city with emphasis on Shast Fitch river and Sirch spa. Masters Thesis. Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran. 186 pp.
Seiderer, T., Venter, A., Van Wyk, F., Levanets, A. and Jordaan, A., 2017. Growth of soil algae and cyanobacteria on gold mine tailings material. South African Journal of Science. 113(11-12), 1-6.
Shanab, S., Essa, A. and Shalaby, E., 2012. Bioremoval capacity of three heavy metals by some microalgae species (Egyptian Isolates). Plant Signaling and Behavior. 7(3), 392-399.
Shokravi, S., Soltani, N. and Baftechi, L., 2002. Development of technology for using cyanobacteria as biological fertilizers in paddy fields. Supreme Research Council of the Presidential Institution (National Plan). Research Institute of Applied Basic Sciences, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Shahid Beheshti University. 132 pp.
Shukla, D., Vankar, P.S. and Srivastava, S.K., 2012. Bioremediation of hexavalent chromium by a cyanobacterial mat. Applied Water Science. 2(54), 245–251.
Singh, P., Jain, R., Srivastava, N., Borthakur, A., Pal, D.B., Singh, R., Madhav, S., Srivastava P., Tiwary, D. and Mishra, P.K., 2017. Current and emerging trends in bioremediation of petrochemical waste: A review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology. 47(3), 155-201.
Singh, R.N., 1950. Reclamation of “usar” lands in India through blue-green algae. Nature. 165(4191), 325-326.
Stanier, R.Y., Kunisawa, R., Mandel, M. and Cohen-Bazire, G., 1971. Purification and properties of unicellular blue-green algae (order Chroococcales). Bacteriological reviews. 35(2), 171- 205.
Varsha, M., Nidhi, M. and Anurag, M., 2010. Heavy metals in plants: phytoremediation: Plants used to remediate heavy metal pollution. Agriculture and Biology Journal of North America. 1(1), 40-46.
Whitton, B.A. and Potts, M., 2000. In The Ecology of Cyanophyta. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Springer, Dordrecht, pp. 233–255.
Zeng, J., Zhao, D., Ji, Y. and Wu, Q., 2012. Comparison of heavy metal accumulation by a bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa. Chinese Science Bulletin.57(28-29), 3790˗3797.