Ecological Systems and Devices Annotation << Back THE IMPACT OF NATURAL IRON-CONTAINING MINERALS ON THE TOXIC EFFECT OF 2,3,7,7,8-TCDD AND BENZ[A]PYRENE ON THE EXAMPLE OF BACTERIA DESULFOVIBRIO SP. AND ACIDITHIOBACILLUS FERROOXIDANS Е.К. Pichugina, Е.P. Bazarova, Е.А. Levashova, S.E. Mazina, S.V. Novikov The article is focused on the impact of persistent organic pollutants on the biota of unique habitats such as thermal springs. The infl uence of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and benz[a]pyrene on strains of sulfatereducing bacteria Desulfovibrio sp. and iron bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans isolated from the ponds of the thermal spring Kindig (Abkhazia) during bacterial cultivation in media with the addition of various minerals is considered. A comparative research was carried out on bacterial growth in culture mediums with additions of 2,3,7,8-TCDD or benz[a]pyrene, in medium with addition of minerals and in presence of both minerals and pollutants. Iron-containing minerals were used: fi broferrite, jarosite, goethite, copiapite and pyrite. The number of bacteria in different experimental variants was estimated. As a result of the experiments, a decrease in bacterial populations in the presence of 2,3,7,8-TCDD or benz[a]pyrene was revealed. The addition of minerals to the culture medium resulted in an increase in bacterial number. The presence of minerals in the medium under the impact of pollutants led to a decrease in the negative effect. It was concluded that for Desulfovibrio sp. and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans the presence of minerals containing iron in the culture medium is favorable for their growth and increases the resistance of bacteria to the impact of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and benz[a]pyrene. Keywords: persistent organic pollutants; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; 2;3;7;8-TCDD; benz[a]pyrene; fi broferrite; jarosite; goethite; copiapite; pyrite; sulfatereducing bacteria; iron bacteria. DOI: 10.25791/esip.09.2020.1177 Pp. 15-22.