Arsenicicoccus bolidensis a novel arsenic reducing actinomycete in contaminated sediments near the Adak mine (northern Sweden): impact on water chemistry.

Weathering of mine tailings in Adak results in high As concentrations in surface and ground water, sediments, and soil. In spite of the oxic conditions, As-rich surface and ground water samples indicate As(III) species predominantly (up to 83%). Several microorganisms were isolated from the enrichment cultures that were involved in As cycling.

Mycelial pellet formation by Penicillium ochrochloron species due to exposure to pyrene.

Five indigenous fungal strains with characteristics of the genus Penicillium capable of degrading and utilizing pyrene, as sole carbon source were isolated from soil of a former gas work site. Two strains were identified as Penicillium ochrochloron. One of the strains was able to degrade a maximum of 75% of 50 mg l(-1) pyrene at 22 degrees C during 28 days of incubation.

Arsenicicoccus bolidensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from contaminated lake sediment.

An unknown Gram-positive, catalase-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-spore-forming, coccus-shaped bacterium originating from sediment was characterized using phenotypic, molecular chemical and molecular phylogenetic methods. Chemical studies revealed the presence of a cell-wall murein based on LL-diaminopimelic acid (type LL-Dpm-glycine(1)), a complex mixture of saturated, monounsaturated and iso- and anteiso-methyl-branched, non-hydroxylated, long-chain cellular fatty acids and tetrahydrogenated menaquinones with eight isoprene units [MK-8(H(4))] as the major respiratory lipoquinone. This combination of characteristics somewhat resembled members of the suborder Micrococcineae, but did not correspond to any currently described species.

Degradation of pyrene by indigenous fungi from a former gasworks site.

Indigenous fungi isolated from soil of a former gasworks site were investigated in submerged cultures with pyrene as the sole carbon source. Five fungal strains capable of degrading pyrene included one strain of Trichoderma harzianum and four strains with characteristics of the genus Penicillium. These are identified as Penicillium simplicissimum, Penicillium janthinellum, Penicillium funiculosum and Penicillium terrestre.