Iron-monosulfide oxidation in natural sediments: resolving microbially mediated S transformations using XANES, electron microscopy, and selective extractions

Burton, E.D., Bush, R.T., Sullivan, L.A., Hocking, R.K., Mitchell, D.R.G., Johnston, S.G., Fitzpatrick, R.W., Raven, M., McClure, S., and Jang, L.Y. (2009) Iron-monosulfide oxidation in natural sediments: resolving microbially mediated S transformations using XANES, electron microscopy, and selective extractions. Environmental Science and Technology, 43 (9). pp. 3128-3134.

[img] PDF (Published Version) - Published Version
Restricted to Repository staff only

View at Publisher Website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es8036548
106


Abstract

Iron-monosulfide oxidation and associated S transformations in a natural sediment were examined by combining selective extractions, electron microscopy and S K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The sediment examined in this study was collected from a waterway receiving acid-sulfate soil drainage. It contained a high acid-volatile sulfide content (1031 μmol g⁻¹), reflecting an abundance of iron-monosulfide. The iron-monosulfide speciation in the initial sediment sample was dominated by nanocrystalline mackinawite (tetragonal FeS). At near-neutral pH and an O₂ partial pressure of similar to 0.2 atm, the mackinawite was found to oxidize rapidly, with a half-time of 29 ± 2 min. This oxidation rate did not differ significantly (P 0.05) between abiotic versus biotic conditions, demonstrating that oxidation of nanocrystalline mackinawite was not microbially mediated. The extraction results suggested that elemental S (S⁰₈) was a key intermediate S oxidation product. Transmission electron microscopy showed the S⁰₈ to be amorphous nanoglobules, 100-200 nm in diameter. The quantitative importance of S⁰₈ was confirmed by linear combination XANES spectroscopy, after accounting for the inherent effect of the nanoscale S⁰₈ particle-size on the corresponding XANES spectrum. Both the selective extraction and XANES data showed that oxidation of S⁰₈ to SO₄²⁻ was mediated by microbial activity. In addition to directly revealing important S transformations, the XANES results support the accuracy of the selective extraction scheme employed here.

Item ID: 28898
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1520-5851
Date Deposited: 21 Aug 2013 09:22
FoR Codes: 03 CHEMICAL SCIENCES > 0302 Inorganic Chemistry > 030207 Transition Metal Chemistry @ 100%
SEO Codes: 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970103 Expanding Knowledge in the Chemical Sciences @ 100%
More Statistics

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page Item Control Page