Heterotrophic manganese‐oxidizing bacteria from Groote Eylandt, Australia

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A survey of Groote Eylandt soils, sediments, and mineral samples has shown that microorganisms promoting manganese deposition were widespead on the island. Oxidizing activity was found in approximately half of non‐manganese‐associated samples but was nearly twice as frequent in minerals from the Groote Eylandt manganese mine site. From 90 crude enrichments of samples, 88 oxidizing bacteria were found with 25 strains showing greater than 10 mg Mn2+ removed per liter of solution per week. The eight fastest oxidizers isolated had varying colony morphologies; five were gram‐positive rods (three producing spores) and three were gram‐negative rods. The most active oxidizer was a Bacillus strain from a manganese dioxide ore and Fourier Transform Infra‐Red (FTIR) spectrograms of the product were consistent with the formation of disordered manganese dioxide.