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. 2025 Oct 31;82(12):584.
doi: 10.1007/s00284-025-04571-w.

Characterization of Dominant Bacterial Species on Sand Filters Used for Treating Manganese-Containing Mine Water Under Alkaline Conditions

Hiroshi Habe  1 , Tomohiro Inaba  2 , Takuro Nishimura  3
Affiliations

Characterization of Dominant Bacterial Species on Sand Filters Used for Treating Manganese-Containing Mine Water Under Alkaline Conditions

Hiroshi Habe et al. Curr Microbiol. .

Abstract

Even after mine closure, continuous chemical treatment of mine water and proper sludge management remain necessary. Previously, a pilot-scale rapid sand filter (RSF) system was applied to treat manganese-containing circumneutral mine water (21 mg/L Mn2⁺, pH 7.0) at a mine site, achieving up to 40% Mn removal. In this study, adjusting the inlet water pH to 8.5 and 9.0 increased Mn removal rates to 89.5% and 95.0%, respectively. Although microbial contribution to Mn2⁺ oxidation under alkaline conditions is presumed to be minimal, dominant bacterial species on the sand filters were investigated using nanopore sequencing. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia-related bacteria were highly dominant, with relative abundances ranging from 8.83% to 24.5%. After isolating the strain designated AS50Mn from sand filters, its growth and Mn-oxidizing ability were examined under alkaline conditions. As Mn-oxidizing activity was not confirmed at pH 8.5 and 9.0 under the experimental conditions, the strain's dominance is likely due to traits such as alkaline tolerance and heavy metal resistance.

Keywords: Manganese removal; Manganese-oxidizing bacteria; Microbial community structure; Mine-influenced water; Rapid sand filter.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Ethical Approval: None of the research reported in this article involved human participants or animals.

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