Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Microbiology of Molybdenum in Mining-Affected Environments

Molybdenum is an essential element for life, with growing production due to a constantly expanding variety of industrial applications. The potentially harmful effects of Mo on the environment, and on human and ecosystem health, require knowledge of Mo behavior in mining-affected environments. Mo is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Minerals (Basel) 2018-02, Vol.8 (2), p.42
Main Authors: Frascoli, Francesca, Hudson-Edwards, Karen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Bioavailability
Bioremediation
Contaminated land
Contamination
Cycles
Environmental management
Exploitation
Geochemistry
Human behavior
Industrial applications
Iron
Jarosite
Land pollution
Microbiology
Microorganisms
Mine tailings
Mine wastes
Mineral deposits
Mineralogy
Minerals
Mining
Molybdenum
Oxidation
Sediments
Soil
Soil contamination
Soil pollution
Soil water
Sulfides
Sulphides
Wastes
Water pollution
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Summary:Molybdenum is an essential element for life, with growing production due to a constantly expanding variety of industrial applications. The potentially harmful effects of Mo on the environment, and on human and ecosystem health, require knowledge of Mo behavior in mining-affected environments. Mo is usually present in trace amounts in ore deposits, but mining exploitation can lead to wastes with very high Mo concentrations (up to 4000 mg/kg Mo for tailings), as well as soil, sediments and water contamination in surrounding areas. In mine wastes, molybdenum is liberated from sulfide mineral oxidation and can be sorbed onto secondary Fe(III)-minerals surfaces (jarosite, schwertmannite, ferrihydrite) at moderately acidic waters, or taken up in secondary minerals such as powellite and wulfenite at neutral to alkaline pH. To date, no Mo-metabolising bacteria have been isolated from mine wastes. However, laboratory and in-situ experiments in other types of contaminated land have suggested that several Mo-reducing and -oxidising bacteria may be involved in the cycling of Mo in and from mine wastes, with good potential for bioremediation. Overall, a general lack of data is highlighted, emphasizing the need for further research on the contamination, geochemistry, bio-availability and microbial cycling of Mo in mining-affected environments to improve environmental management and remediation actions.
ISSN:2075-163X
2075-163X
DOI:10.3390/min8020042