Abstract
REDUCTION of ferric iron (Fe(III)) to ferrous iron (Fe(II)) is one of the most important geochemical reactions in anaerobic aquatic sediments because of its many consequences for the organic and inorganic chemistry of these environments1. In marine environments, sulphate-reducing bacteria produce H2S, which can reduce iron oxyhydroxides2 to form iron sulphides. The presence of siderite (FeCO3) in marine sediments is anomalous, however, as it is unstable in the presence of H2S. Previous work3,4 has suggested a bacterial origin of siderite. Here we describe geochemical and microbiological studies which suggest that contemporary formation of siderite concretions in a salt-marsh sediment results from the activity of sulphate-reducing bacteria. We find that, instead of reducing Fe(III) indirectly through the production of sulphide, some of these bacteria can reduce Fe(III) directly through an enzymatic mechanism, producing siderite rather than iron sulphides. Sulphate-reducing bacteria may thus be an important and previously unrecognized agent for Fe(III) reduction in aquatic sediments and ground waters.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lovley, D. R. Microbiol. Rev. 55, 259–287 (1991).
Berner, R. A. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 48, 605–615 (1984).
Canfield, D. E. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 53, 619–632 (1989).
Sørensen, J. Appl. envir. Microbiol. 43, 319–324 (1982).
Pye, K., Dickson, J. A. D., Schiavon, N., Coleman, M. L. & Cox, M. Sedimentology 37, 325–343 (1990).
Berner, R. A. Geochim. cosmochim. Acta 32, 477–483 (1968).
Gautier, D. L. J. sedim. Petrol. 52, 859–871 (1982).
Irwin, H., Curtis, C. & Coleman, M. Nature 269, 209–213 (1977).
White, D. C. Adv. Limnol. 31, 1–18 (1988).
White, D. C., Bobbie, R. J., King, J. D., Nickels, J. & Amoe, P. in Methodology for Biomass Determinations and Microbial Activities in Sediments. ASTM STP 673 (eds Litchfield, C. D. & Seyfried, P. L.) 87–103 (American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1979).
Balkwill, D. L., Leach, F. R., Wilson, J. T., McNabb, J. F. & White, D. C. Microb. Ecol. 16, 73–84 (1988).
Findlay, R. H., Trexler, M. B., Guckert, J. B. & White, D. C. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 61, 121–133 (1990).
Vestal, J. R. & White, D. C. Bioscience 39, 535–541 (1989).
Hedrick, D. B., Guckert, J. B. & White, D. C. J. Lipid Res. 32, 656–666 (1991).
Lovley, D. R. et al. Arch. Microbiol. (in the press).
Hedrick, D. B. & White, D. C. J. microbiol. Methods 5, 243–254 (1986).
Dowling, N. J. E., Widdel, F. & White, D. C. J. gen. Microbiol. 132, 1815–1825 (1986).
Edlund, A., Nichols, P. D., Roffey, R. & White, D. C. J. Lipid Res. 26, 982–988 (1985).
Cord-Ruwisch, R. Seitz, H.-J. & Conrad, R. Arch. Microbiol. 149, 350–357 (1988).
Chapelle, F. H. & Lovley, D. R. Groundwater 30, 29–36 (1992).
Murphy, E. M. et al. Water Resources Res. 28, 723–740 (1992).
Lovley, D. R., Chapelle, F. H. & Phillips, E. J. P. Geology 18, 954–957 (1990).
Guckert, J. B., Hood, M. A. & White, D. C. Appl. envir. Microbiol. 52, 794–801 (1986).
Lovley, D. R. & Phillips, E. J. P. Appl. envir. Microbiol. 51, 683–689 (1986).
Lovley, D. R. & Phillips, E. J. P. Appl. envir. Microbiol. 54, 1472–1480 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Coleman, M., Hedrick, D., Lovley, D. et al. Reduction of Fe(III) in sediments by sulphate-reducing bacteria. Nature 361, 436–438 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/361436a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/361436a0
This article is cited by
-
Assessing microbially mediated vivianite as a novel phosphorus and iron fertilizer
Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture (2024)
-
Metallic micronutrients are associated with the structure and function of the soil microbiome
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Bacterial diversity in surface sediments of collapsed lakes in Huaibei, China
Scientific Reports (2022)
-
Diurnal changes in bacterial communities in oxic surface and hypoxic middle seawater layers of the Changjiang River Estuary
Acta Oceanologica Sinica (2021)
-
Hydrogen sulfide removal from geothermal fluids by Fe(III)-based additives
Geothermal Energy (2020)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
