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Methods and apparatus are disclosed for remediating metal contaminants using hydrocarbons which stimulate the growth of hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria. The metal contaminants may include heavy metals such as arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, iron, manganese, mag

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for remediating metal contaminants using hydrocarbons which stimulate the growth of hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria. The metal contaminants may include heavy metals such as arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, iron, manganese, magnesium, radium, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium and zinc. The hydrocarbon may include alkanes, alkenes, Aalkynes, poly(alkene)s, poly(alkyne)s, aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbon polymers and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Butane is a particularly suitable hydrocarbon which stimulates the growth of butane-utilizing bacteria. Remediation may occur in-situ or ex-situ, and may occur under aerobic, anaerobic or dual aerobic/anaerobic conditions. Examples of applications include the remediation of heavy metals, the remediation of arsenic impacted surface water, groundwater and/or soil, the remediation of acid mine drainage, and the treatment of spent metal plating solutions.

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1. A method of remediating a metal contaminant, the method comprising treating the metal contaminant with alkane-utilizing bacteria in the presence of an alkane comprising butane, ethane and/or propane.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alkane comprises butane.3. The method of claim 2, wherein th

1. A method of remediating a metal contaminant, the method comprising treating the metal contaminant with alkane-utilizing bacteria in the presence of an alkane comprising butane, ethane and/or propane.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alkane comprises butane.3. The method of claim 2, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising butane as the most prevalent compound of the substrate on a weight percentage basis.4. The method of claim 2, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising at least about 10 weight percent butane.5. The method of claim 2, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising at least about 50 weight percent butane.6. The method of claim 2, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising at least about 90 weight percent butane.7. The method of claim 2, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising at least about 99 weight percent n-butane.8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one alkane comprises ethane.9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one alkane comprises propane.10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon is introduced to the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria intermittently.11. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon is introduced to the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria continuously.12. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant comprises at least one heavy metal.13. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant comprises arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, iron, manganese, magnesium, radium, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium and/or zinc.14. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant comprises arsenic.15. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant comprises selenium.16. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant comprises iron.17. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant comprise manganese.18. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant comprises chromium.19. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant comprises a radioactive metal.20. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is present in acid mine drainage.21. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is present in spent metal plating solution.22. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria comprise aerobic bacteria.23. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing oxygen to the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria.24. The method of claim 23, wherein the oxygen is provided in the form of air.25. The method of claim 23, wherein the oxygen is provided in the form of substantially pure oxygen.26. The method of claim 23, wherein the oxygen is provided to the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria continuously.27. The method of claim 23, wherein the oxygen is provided to the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria intermittently.28. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria comprise anaerobic bacteria.29. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria comprise facultative anaerobes and/or microaerophilic anaerobes.30. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria comprise aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, facultative anaerobes and/or microaerophilic anaerobes.31. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria comprise at least one microorganism selected from the group comprising acidophilic, alkaliphilic, anaerobe, anoxygenic, autotrophic, chemolithotrophic, chemoorganotroph, chemotroph, halophilic, methanogenic neutrophilic, phototroph, saprophytic, thermoacidophilic and/or thermophilic bacteria.32. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria comprise at least one bacterium selected from the group consisting of Pseudomonas, Variovorax, Nocardia, Chryseobacterium, Comamonas, Acidovorax, Rhodococcus, Aureobacterium, Micrococcus, Aeromonas, Stenotrophomonas, Sphingobacterium, Shewanella, Phyllobacterium, Clavibacter, Alcaligenes, Gordona, Corynebacterium and Cytophaga. 33. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria comprise at least one bacterium selected from the group consisting of putida, rubrisubalbicans, aeruginosa, paradoxus, asteroides, brasiliensis, restricta, globerula, indologenes, meningosepticum, acidovorans, delafieldii, rhodochrous, erythropolis, fascians, barkeri, esteroaromaticum, saperdae, varians, kristinae, caviae, maltophilia, thalpophilum, spiritivorum, putrefaciens B, myrsinacearum, michiganense, xylosoxydans, terrae, aquaticum B and johnsonae. 34. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria further comprise at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of fungi, algae, protozoa, rotifers and/or microbes found in decaying material.35. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is remediated by precipitation of the metal.36. The method of claim 35, wherein the metal contaminant is precipitated on a membrane.37. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is remediated by changing the valence state of the metal contaminant.38. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is remediated by oxidation of the metal.39. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is remediated by changing a subsurface microbial ecology of a metal-contaminated site.40. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is present in a liquid.41. The method of claim 40, wherein the liquid comprises water.42. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is treated in-situ at a contaminated site.43. The method of claim 42, wherein the contaminated site comprises groundwater.44. The method of claim 42, wherein the contaminated site comprises surface water.45. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is treated ex-situ.46. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is present in soil.47. The method of claim 46, wherein the soil is mixed with liquid to form a slurry.48. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is treated in a precipitation lagoon.49. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal is recovered by depositing the metal on a membrane.50. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is treated in a bioreactor.51. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is treated in a heap.52. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contaminant is initially treated in a reduction chamber and subsequently treated in a precipitation chamber.53. A method of treating a metal-contaminated site, the method comprising supplying an alkane substrate to the contaminated site to thereby remediate the metal contaminant, wherein the alkane substrate comprises butane, ethane and/or propane.54. The method of claim 53, wherein the alkane substrate comprises butane.55. The method of claim 54, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising butane as the most prevalent compound of the substrate on a weight percentage basis.56. The method of claim 54, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising at least about 10 weight percent butane.57. The method of claim 54, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising at least about 50 weight percent butane.58. The method of claim 54, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising at least about 90 weight percent butane.59. The method of claim 54, wherein the butane is provided as a butane substrate comprising at least about 99 weight percent n-butane.60. The method of claim 53, wherein the at least one alkane comprises ethane.61. The method of claim 53, wherein the at least one alkane comprises propane.62. The method of claim 53, wherein the hydrocarbon substrate is supplied to the contaminated site in a liquid form.63. The method of claim 53, wherein the hydrocarbon substrate is supplied to the contaminated site in gaseous form.64. The method of claim 53, wherein the hydrocarbon substrate is supplied to the contaminated site continuously.65. The method of claim 53, wherein the hydrocarbon substrate is supplied to the contaminated site intermittently.66. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant comprises at least one heavy metal.67. The method of claim 66, wherein the at least one heavy metal comprises arsenic, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, iron, manganese, magnesium, radium, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium and/or zinc.68. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant comprises arsenic.69. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant comprises selenium.70. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant comprises iron.71. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant comprises manganese.72. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant comprises chromium.73. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant comprises a radioactive metal.74. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant is present in acid mine drainage.75. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant is present in a spent metal plating solution.76. The method of claim 53, further comprising supplying oxygen to the contaminated site.77. The method of claim 76, wherein the oxygen is supplied in the form of air.78. The method of claim 76, wherein the oxygen is supplied in the form of substantially pure oxygen.79. The method of claim 76, wherein the oxygen is supplied continuously.80. The method of claim 76, wherein the oxygen is supplied intermittently.81. The method of claim 53, wherein the contaminated site comprises surface water.82. The method of claim 53, wherein the contaminated site comprises groundwater.83. The method of claim 53, wherein the contaminated site comprises soil.84. The method of claim 53, wherein the contaminated site is below a ground surface.85. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant is treated in-situ.86. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant is treated ex-situ.87. The method of claim 53, wherein the metal contaminant is treated in a lagoon.