Archaeal diversity in a Fe-As rich acid mine drainage at Carnoulès (France).

The acid waters (pH=2.73-3.4) that originate from the Carnoulès mine tailings (France) are known for their very high concentrations of As (up to 10,000 mg l(-1)) and Fe (up to 20,000 mg l(-1)). To analyze the composition of the archaeal community, (their temporal variation inside the tailing and spatial variations all along the Reigous Creek, which drains the site), seven 16S rRNA gene libraries were constructed. Clone analysis revealed that all the sequences were affiliated to the phylum Euryarchaeota, while Crenarchaeota were not represented. The study showed that the structure of the archaeal community of the aquifer of the tailing stock is different to that of the Reigous Creek. Irrespective of the time of sampling, the most abundant sequences found inside the tailing stock were related to Ferroplasma acidiphilum, an acidophilic and ferrous-iron oxidizing Archaea well known for its role in bioleaching. Inversely, in Reigous Creek, a sequence affiliated to the uncultured Thermoplasmatales archaeon, clone YAC1, was largely dominant. This study provides a better understanding of the microbial community associated with an acid mine drainage rich in arsenic.