Features of sulfate reduction by groundwater microbial complexes

Abstract

Sulfate reduction is an important biogeochemical process in underground aquifers. The presence of hydrogen sulfide in the environment is a marker of the destruction of organic matter in anoxic conditions and the activation of microbiological processes. Research into the nature of interaction between surface and groundwater is relevant for assessing the sanitary and hygienic indicators of drinking water. The paper describes the results of determining the content of organic matter, hydrogen sulfide and the abundance of sulfate-reducing bacteria in groundwater of the riverbank filtration zone. It has been established that the activity of sulfate reduction processes in groundwater varies significantly in space and time. The maximum number of sulfate-reducing bacteria was accompanied by active formation of hydrogen sulfide in the aquifer after spring snowmelt at a depth of 45 m in wells located at a distance of 1500 m from the riverbank. At a distance of 50 m from the riverbank, the quality of groundwater changes significantly in the upper aquifer in the summer-autumn period, especially after floods.