Role of indigenous microbiota from heavily contaminated sediments in the bioprecipitation of arsenic.

High arsenic concentrations have been detected in alluvial aquifers of arid and semi-arid zones in Mexico. This work describes the potential of microbial arsenate reduction of the indigenous community present in sediments from an arsenic contaminated aquifer. Microcosms assays were conducted to evaluate arsenate and sulfate-reducing activities of the native microbiota. Two different sediments were used as inoculum in the assays amended with lactate (10mM) as electron donor and with sulfate and arsenate (10mM each) as electron acceptors. Sediments were distinguished by their concentration of total arsenic 238.3±4.1mg/kg or 2263.1±167.7mg/kg, which may be considered as highly contaminated sediments with arsenic. Microbial communities present in both sediments were able to carry out arsenate reduction, accomplished within 4days, with the corresponding formation of arsenite; sulfate reduction took place as well. Both reducing activities occurred without previous acclimation period or enrichment, even at potential inhibitory concentrations of arsenate as high as 750mg/L (10mM). The formation of a yellowish colloidal precipitate was evident when both reducing processes occurred in the microcosm, which contributed to remove between 52 and 90.9% of As(III) from the liquid phase by bioprecipitation of arsenic as arsenic sulfide.