Papers by Keyword: Acidithiobacillus caldus

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial colonization and arsenic leaching kinetics of South Korean mine tailings containing arsenopyrite at fixed temperatures (20°C, 30°C and 45°C) and at ramped up temperatures (25 to 45°C, with a 2°C daily increase). The experiments were conducted in a packed bed of inert granite pebbles coated with the tailings material and leached with a mesophilic culture dominated by Acidithiobacillus caldus (56%), a lesser percentage of Leptospirillum ferriphilum (29%) and Archaea (15%), using 1 g/L ferrous-enriched 0K medium. The ramped-up temperature experiment was conducted in triplicate and columns were sacrificed after different leach periods to study the evolution of microbial species dominating the colonization. The leaching performance was evaluated using the arsenic released into solution, the iron oxidation rates, the pH and the redox potential. The microbial speciation of the culture attached to the solids during the leach experiment was determined upon completion of each experiment. A steady arsenic solubilisation of between 94 and 97% was observed among the various column experiment after 88 days post inoculation. Microbial speciation performed following the leaching of the mineral indicated a shift of microbial communities in the columns when compared to the initial inoculum.

Abstract: Acidithiobacillus caldus and Leptospirillum ferriphilum cells grown in different energy substances (ferrous ion, sulfur and pyrite) were used. The adhesion of A. caldus and L. ferriphilum cells on pyrite and their effect on pyrite surface properties were studied by adsorption, zeta-potential and FT-IR methods, and the corrosion images of pyrite interaction with bacteria were examined using atomic force microscopy. Research showed that pyrite isoelectric point (IEP) after interaction with bacterial cells shifted towards cells isoelectric point, and the shift degree in case of interaction with A. caldus was observed to be much more pronounced than for interaction with L. ferriphilum, which can be due to higher affinity of A. caldus towards pyrite. The FT-IR spectra of pyrite treated with bacterial cells revealed the presence of the cell functional groups signifying cells adsorption. Although the adsorption density of A. caldus on pyrite was higher than that of L. ferriphilum, L. ferriphilum with strong ability to oxidize ferrous ion showed better leaching efficiency than A. caldus with strong ability to oxidize sulfur for pyrite leaching. The results demonstrated that more important of indirect action (L. ferriphilum) than direct action (A. caldus) on pyrite.Introduction Bacterial adsorption to minerals is an initial step in bacterial leaching for metal recovery [1]. It has been reported that bacterial adhesion is dependent not only on the biochemical properties of the organism but also on the interfacial properties of the various interfaces existing in a bioleaching system[2].The bacteria-mineral interactions result in the changes of their surface properties. The elucidation of their alternate will be beneficial for bioleaching processes. Both Acidithiobacillus caldus and Leptospirillum ferriphilum are known for their ability to inhabit acidic environments and derive energy from oxidation of inorganic substances with natural occurrence in ore deposits and acid mine drainage and high affinity towards sulfide minerals [3-5]. In this work, the alterations of surface properties of pyrite after interaction with L. ferriphilum and A. caldus are studied, and the changes in surface properties caused by bacterial adsorption are discussed with reference to bioleaching behavior of pyrite.

Abstract: In this work, the monitoring of bacterial and chemical dissolution of massive bornite was performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV); the mineral surface was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the elements were indentified by Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDXA). The electrolyte employed for the electrochemical tests was the medium used for bioleaching the electrodes (3.0 g•dm-3 (NH4)2•SO4, 0.5 g•dm-3K2HPO4, 0.5 g•dm-3 MgSO4•7H2O and 0.1 g•dm-3 Ca(NO3)2).The results showed differences in voltagramms carried out by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus caldus: In bioleached electrodes tested in the presence of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, the anodic and cathodic current signals were larger than with Acidithiobacillus caldus The analysis of CV results allowed attributing the different peaks observed in both the direct and reverse potential scanning to the oxidation of bornite to a secondary copper mineral(chalcocite and covellite) and its reduction via different non stoichiometric copper sulphides intermediaries. Surface evidences were produced by SEM, and chemical elements evidences were also investigated by EDAX.

Abstract: The elemental sulfur oxidising enzyme Sulfur Oxygenase Reductase (SOR) is very well investigated in acidothermophilic archaea, such as Acidianus brierleyi and Sulfolobus metallicus. In contrast, not much is known about the biochemistry of elemental sulfur oxidation in acidophilic bacteria. Recently, however, the SOR-encoding gene has been found also in a bacterial strain closely related to the moderate thermophile Acidithiobacillus caldus. Confusingly, for the latter species, also the involvement of the SOX system as well as thiosulfate:quinone oxidoreductase (TQO) and tetrathionate hydrolase (TTH) in sulfur compound oxidation has been proposed based on genome analysis. In this study, we have detected the sor-gene in other Acidithiobacillus caldus-like strains, isolated from various bioleaching habitats, indicating that SOR plays an important role in sulfur oxidation in this species. Based on sequence comparison, the new bacterial sor-genes are closely related and distant from the known archaeal sequences as well as from the SOR found in the neutrophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus. In addition, SOR activity has been detected in crude cell extracts from all Acidithiobacillus caldus-like strains tested. The enzyme is truly thermophilic as highest activities were achieved at 65 °C, which is far beyond the growth optimum of Acidithiobacillus caldus. This finding may give rise to the question whether the presence of SOR in Acidithiobacillus caldus is only relevant while growing at elevated temperatures. Currently, experiments are performed for testing this hypothesis (comparing growth and enzyme activities at 30 vs. 45 °C).