AQDS and Redox-Active NOM Enables Microbial Fe(III)-Mineral Reduction at cm-Scales

Redox-active organic molecules such as anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) and natural organic matter (NOM) can act as electron shuttles thus facilitating electron transfer from Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (FeRB) to terminal electron acceptors such as Fe(III) minerals. In this research, we examined the length scale over which this electron shuttling can occur. We present results from agar-solidified experimental incubations, containing either AQDS or NOM, where FeRB were physically separated from ferrihydrite or goethite by 2 cm. Iron speciation and concentration measurements coupled to a diffusion-reaction model highlighted clearly Fe(III) reduction in the presence of electron shuttles, independent of the type of FeRB. Based on our fitted model, the rate of ferrihydrite reduction increased from 0.07 to 0.19 μmol d-1 with a 10-fold increase in the AQDS concentration, highlighting a dependence of the reduction rate on the electron-shuttle concentration. To capture the kinetics of Fe(II) production, the effective AQDS diffusion coefficient had to be increased by a factor of 9.4. Thus, we postulate that the 2 cm electron transfer was enabled by a combination of AQDS molecular diffusion and an electron hopping contribution from reduced to oxidized AQDS molecules. Our results demonstrate that AQDS and NOM can drive microbial Fe(III) reduction across 2 cm distances and shed light on the electron transfer process in natural anoxic environments.