Sequestration and oxidation of Cr(III) by fungal Mn oxides with Mn(II) oxidizing activity

Suzuki, Ryohei*; Tani, Yukinori*; Naito, Hirotaka*; Miyata, Naoyuki*; Tanaka, Kazuya  

We prepared biogenic Mn oxides (BMOs) using strain KR21-2, and subsequently conducted single or repeated treatment experiments in Cr(NO) at pH6.0. Under aerobic conditions, newly formed BMOs exhibited a rapid production of Cr(VI) without a significant release of Mn(II), demonstrating that newly formed BMO mediates a catalytic oxidation of Cr(III) with a self-regeneration step of reduced Mn. In anaerobic solution, newly formed BMOs showed a cessation of Cr(III) oxidation in the early stage of the reaction, and subsequently had a much smaller Cr(VI) production with significant release of reduced Mn(II).