ARCTIC The Occurrence of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Arsenic in Subarctic Streams Affected by Gold-Mine Drainage

• Main Authors: Edward J. Brown, Huan V. Luong, Joan M. Forshaug
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Mots des; arsenic; mines d’or; mCtaux lourds; pyrite; Thiobacillus ferrooxidans; Arctic; Dawson City; Fairbanks; Yukon; Dawson; Subarctic; Alaska
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.579.4984; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic35-3-417.pdf

Alaska, and Dawson City, Yukon Temtory, were sampled to determine dissolved arsenic concentrations, and numbers of the acidophilic iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Thiobacillusferrooxidans. The pH of the streams varied from 6.3 to 8.6 and the streams were nearly saturated with dissolved oxygen. T.ferrooxiduns was found in eight of nine streams affected by gold-mine drainage and in only one of 26 streams not affected by gold-mine drainage. Some of the streams affected by gold-mine drainage near Fairbanks, Alaska, occasionally contained levels of dissolved arsenic above 50 parts per billion. The recognition that T. ferrooxidans is associated with gold-mine material and that the heavy metal arsenic exists in streams affected by gold-mine wastes is important for understanding the environmental effects of mining activity on subarctic streams. Key words: arsenic, gold mines, heavy metals, pyrite, Thiobacitlus ferrooxidans RfiSUMfi. Trente-cinq ruisseaux dans les regions minitres d’or entre Rampart, en Alaska, et Dawson, au Yukon, ont et6 echantillonnes afn de determiner les concentrations d’arsenic qui y etaient dissoutes, ainsi que le nombre de batteries Thiobacillus ferrooxidans acidophiles oxidant le fer et le soufre. Le niveau des pH des ruisseaux variait entre 6.3 et 8.6 et les ruisseaux etaient presque satures d’oxygtne dissous. Des traces de T. ferrooxidans ont Cte relevees dans huit des neuf ruisseaux touches par le reseau de drainage des mines d’or, tandis que seulement un des 26 ruisseaux non touches par le reseau en prksentait des traces. Certains des ruisseaux touches par le reseau de drainage des mines d’or prts de Fairbanks, en Alaska, contenaient h I’occasion des niveaux d’arsenic dissous de plus de 50 parties par milliard. La reconnaissance de I’association de T. ferrooxidans aux produits de mines d’or et de la pr6sence d’arsenic de metal lourd dans les ruisseaux contenant des dechets de mines d’or contribue de facon importante B la comprehension des effets de I’activite minitre sur les ruisseaux ...