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The Use of Bacteria for Remediation of Mercury Contaminated Groundwater
Citation:
ABDRASHITOVA, S. A., R. DEVEREUX, W. J. DAVIS-HOOVER, K. KEKEBAEVA, Z. BAIGONUSOVA, AND A. KURMANBAEV. The Use of Bacteria for Remediation of Mercury Contaminated Groundwater. The Problems of Biogeochemistry and Geochemical Ecology. Kazakhstan, Semipalatisk City, Kazakhstan, 1(12):146-148, (2010).
Impact/Purpose:
Develop biological treatments to mitigate mercury contamination in groundwater at a former chlor-alkali plant in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
Description:
Many processes of mercury transformation in the environment are bacteria mediated. Mercury properties cause some difficulties of remediation of mercury contaminated environment. Despite the significance of the problem of mercury pollution, methods of large scale bioremediation of mercury are not prevalent so far. The research was conducted in outskirt of Pavlodar city, Kazakhstan where surface waters and groundwater as well as soils were contaminated with mercury as a result of operation of mercury cell chlor-alkali production at PO "Khimprom" plant. Two anaerobic sulfate reducing bacteria cultures and three aerobic bacteria cultures resistant to soluble forms of mercury have been isolated. Large scale pilot tests have been conducted with a view to determine the potential of the bacteria to be used for bioremediation of groundwater of Pavlodar outskirt from mercury. The results suggest that sulfate reducing bacteria are the most efficient ones for bioremediation of mercury contaminated groundwater.