Reduction of elemental selenium to selenide: Experiments with anoxic sediments and bacteria that respire Se-oxyanions
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Abstract
A selenite-respiring bacterium, Bacillus selenitireducens, produced significant levels of Se(-II) (as aqueous HSe−) when supplied with Se(0). B. selenitireducens was also able to reduce selenite [Se(IV)] through Se(0) to Se(-II). Reduction of Se(0) by B. selenitireducens was more rapid in cells grown on colloidal sulfur [S(0)] or Se(IV) as their electron acceptor than for cell lines grown on fumarate. In contrast, three cultures of selenate-respiring bacteria, Sulfurospirillum barnesii, B. arsenicoselenatis, and Selenihalanaerobacter shriftii either were unable to reduce Se(0) to Se(-II) or had only a very limited capacity to achieve this reduction. Biological reduction of Se(0) to Se(-II) was observed during incubation of estuarine sediment slurries, while no such activity was noted in formalin-killed controls. The majority of the Se(-II) produced was found in the sediments as a solid precipitate of FeSe, rather than in solution as HSe−. These results demonstrate that certain anaerobic bacteria have the capacity to reduce Se(0) to Se(-II), providing a possible biological explanation for the occurrence of the selenide species in some sedimentary rocks.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Reduction of elemental selenium to selenide: Experiments with anoxic sediments and bacteria that respire Se-oxyanions |
| Series title | Geomicrobiology Journal |
| DOI | 10.1080/713851163 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Year Published | 2003 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| Contributing office(s) | Toxic Substances Hydrology Program |
| Description | 16 p. |
| First page | 587 |
| Last page | 602 |