The structure of the manganese oxide on the sheath of the bacterium<i>Leptothrix discophora</i>: An XAFS study

Abstract

In natural waters, manganese oxides (MnOx) are important in mediating the bioavailability of trace metals such as Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb, as these metals readily adsorb to the MnOx surface. Manganese from a variety of anthropogenic sources usually enters the aquatic environment in dissolved form as Mn2+. It is subsequently oxidized under oxic and neutral (pH = 6-7) conditions. Often this oxidation is catalyzed by bacteria, such as Leptothrix discophora, as part of their natural metabolic process.