A worldwide public health crisis has emerged due to consumption of arsenic polluted groundwater.  The cause of arsenic contamination of water is complex involving anaerobic iron and arsenic reduction, which leads to the release of arsenic from contaminated sediments into groundwater. Metal-reducing bacteria are thought to carry out these reactions. A model iron and arsenic-reducing bacterium, Shewanella sp. strain ANA-3, is being used to determine the molecular-biological mechanisms for anaerobic iron and arsenic reduction.  This genetic information is being integrated with geochemical studies to determine the relative influence of iron vs. arsenate reduction pathways on arsenic release from arsenic-iron containing sediment analogs.  Developing a mechanistic understanding of processes controlling arsenic mobilization is anticipated to impact the science base for prediction and mitigation of human exposure to arsenic.

Biological mechanisms for microbial iron and arsenic reduction

239th National Meeting (2010)

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