The Ecology of Arsenic

Arsenic is a metalloid whose name conjures up images of murder. Nonetheless, certain prokaryotes use arsenic oxyanions for energy generation, either by oxidizing arsenite or by respiring arsenate. These microbes are phylogenetically diverse and occur in a wide range of habitats. Arsenic cycling may...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2003-05, Vol.300 (5621), p.939-944
Main Authors: Oremland, Ronald S., Stolz, John F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquifers
Archaea - metabolism
Arsenates
Arsenates - metabolism
Arsenic
Arsenic - metabolism
Arsenic Poisoning - etiology
Arsenicals - metabolism
Arsenites
Arsenites - metabolism
Bacteria
Bacteria - metabolism
Biomass
Biotransformation
Chemical properties
Ecology
Ecosystem
Electrons
Environmental Microbiology
Freshwater
Humans
Lakes
Microorganisms
Models, Biological
Nitrates
Oxidation
Oxidation-Reduction
Prokaryotes
Reviews
Thermodynamics
Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism
Water Supply
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Summary:Arsenic is a metalloid whose name conjures up images of murder. Nonetheless, certain prokaryotes use arsenic oxyanions for energy generation, either by oxidizing arsenite or by respiring arsenate. These microbes are phylogenetically diverse and occur in a wide range of habitats. Arsenic cycling may take place in the absence of oxygen and can contribute to organic matter oxidation. In aquifers, these microbial reactions may mobilize arsenic from the solid to the aqueous phase, resulting in contaminated drinking water. Here we review what is known about arsenic-metabolizing bacteria and their potential impact on speciation and mobilization of arsenic in nature.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1081903