Conductive property of secondary minerals triggered Cr(VI) bioreduction by dissimilatory iron reducing bacteria.

Although secondary minerals have great potential for heavy metal removal, their impact on chromium biogeochemistry in subsurface environments associated with dissimilatory iron reducing bacteria (DIRB) remains poorly characterized. Here, we have investigated the mechanisms of biogenic secondary minerals on the rate of Cr(VI) bioreduction with shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Batch results showed that the biogenic secondary minerals, schwertmannite and jarosite, appreciably increased the Cr(VI) bioreduction rate. UV-vis diffuse reflection spectra showed that schwertmannite and jarosite are semiconductive minerals, which can be activated by MR-1, followed by transferred conduction electrons toward Cr(VI). Cyclic voltammetry and Tafel analysis suggested that the resistance of secondary minerals is a dominant factor controlling Cr(VI) bioreduction. In addition, Cr(VI) adsorption on secondary minerals through ligand exchange promoted Cr(VI) bioreduction by decreasing the electron transfer distance between MR-1 and chromate. Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycling in schwertmannite and jarosite also contributed to Cr(VI) bioreduction as reflected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Complementary characterizations further verified the contributions of Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycling, Cr(VI) adsorption, and conduction band electron transfer to enhanced Cr(VI) bioreduction. This study provides new insights on the understanding of Cr(VI) bioreduction by semiconductor minerals containing sulfate in subsurface environments.