Arsenic microbiology: from metabolism to water bioremediation

Arsenic affects subsurface and surface waters and is released by various natural processes and anthropogenic actions. Bacteria are responsible for cycling arsenic in the environ- ment, due to metabolic and detoxi cation reactions. Since diverse health problems arise in humans due to chronic arsenic contamination of waters, new hybrid solutions (arse- nic bacteria processing and adsorbing materials) need to be implemented for water decontamination.