2016•Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical ResearchOpen access
Arsenic bioleaching in medical realgar ore and arsenicbearing refractory gold ore by combination of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans
Feifan Leng, Shangchen Sun, Yonggang Wang, Yanjun Jing, Qingwei Wei, Hongyu Li
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Abstract
Purpose: To develop a novel biotechnological method for removing toxic arsenic from two kinds of representative arsenic-containing ores using different mixed mesophilic acidophiles.Methods: Bioleaching of the two types of arsenic-containing ores by mixed arsenic-unadapted Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans or mixed arsenic-adapted cultures, were carried out. Arsenic bioleaching ratios in the various leachates were determined and compared.Results: The results showed that the maximum arsenic leaching ratio obtained from realgar in the presence of mixed adapted cultures was 28.6 %. However, the maximum arsenic leaching ratio from realgar in the presence of mixed unadapted strains was only 12.4 %. Besides, maximum arsenic leaching ratios from arsenic-bearing refractory gold ore by mixed adapted strains or unadapted strains were 45.0 and 22.9 %, respectively. Oxidation of these two ores by sulfuric acid was insignificant, as maximum arsenic leaching ratios of realgar and arsenic-bearing refractory gold ore in the absence of any bacterium were only 2.8 and 11.2 %, respectively.Conclusion: Arsenic leaching ratio of realgar and refractory gold ore can be enhanced significantly in the presence of arsenic-adapted mesophilic acidophiles.Keywords: Adaptation, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Realgar, Arsenicbearing refractory gold ore, Arsenic leaching ratio
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