Bioalteration of synthetic Fe(III)-, Fe(II)-bearing basaltic glasses and Fe-free glass in the presence of the heterotrophic bacteria strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Impact of siderophores

This study aims to evaluate the role of micro-organisms and their siderophores in the first steps of the alteration processes of basaltic glasses in aqueous media. In this regard, three different types of glasses – with or without iron, in the reduced Fe(II) or oxidized Fe(III) states – were prepared on the basis of a simplified basaltic glass composition. Control and Pseudomonas aeruginosa inoculated experiments were performed in a buffered (pH 6.5) nutrient depleted medium to stimulate the production of the pyoverdine siderophore. Results show that the presence of P. aeruginosa has an effect on the dissolution kinetics of all glasses as most of the calculated elemental release rates are increased compared to sterile conditions. Reciprocally, the composition of the glass in contact with P. aeruginosa has an impact on the bacterial growth and siderophore production. As an essential nutrient for this microbial strain, Fe notably appears to play a central role during biotic experiments. Its presence in the glass stimulates the bacterial growth and minimizes the synthesis of pyoverdine. Moreover the initial Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio in the glasses modulates this synthesis, as pyoverdine is not detected at all in the system in contact with Fe(III)-bearing glass. Finally, the dissolution rates appear to be correlated to siderophore concentrations as they increase with respect to sterile experiments in the order Fe(III)-bearing glass < Fe(II)-bearing glass < Fe-free glass. This increase is attributed to complexation reactions between siderophores and Fe or Al for Fe(II)-bearing glass or Fe-free glass, respectively. The dissolution of an Fe-free glass is significantly improved in the presence of bacteria, as initial dissolution rates are increased by a factor of 3. This study attests to the essential role of siderophores in the P. aeruginosa-promoted dissolution processes of basaltic glasses as well as to the complex relationships between the nutritional potential of the glass and its dissolution rates.