Comparison of the acid-base behaviour and metal adsorption characteristics of a gram-negative bacterium with other strains

Thermodynamic parameters for proton and metal adsorption onto a gram-negative bacterium from the genus Enterobacteriaceae have been determined and compared with parameters for other strains of bacteria. Potentiometric titrations were used to determine the different types of sites present on bacterial cell walls. Stability constants for adsorption of Pb, Cu and Zn to specific sites were determined from batch adsorption experiments at varying pH with constant metal concentration. Titrations revealed 3 distinct acidic surface sites on the bacterial surface, with pK values of 4.3±0.2, 6.9±0.5 and 8.9±0.5, corresponding to carboxyl, phosphate and hydroxyl/amine groups, with surface densities of 5.0±0.7×10−4, 2.2±0.6×10−4 and 5.5±2.2×10−4 mol/g of dry bacteria. Only carboxyl and phosphate sites are involved in metal uptake, yielding the following intrinsic stability constants: Log Kcarboxyl: Zn=3.3±0.1, Pb=3.9±0.8, and Cu=4.4±0.2, Log Kphosphoryl: Zn=5.1±0.1 and Pb=5.0±0.9. The deprotonation constants are similar to those of other strains of bacteria, while site densities are also within an order of magnitude of other strains. The similarities in surface chemistry and metal stability constants suggest that bacteria may be represented by a simple generic thermodynamic model for the purposes of modelling metal transport in natural environments. Comparison with oxide-coated sand shows that bacteria can attenuate some metals to much lower pH values.