Bioleaching of realgar by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans using ferrous iron and elemental sulfur as the sole and mixed energy sources

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 102; no. 3; pp. 3260 - 3267
• Main Authors: Chen, Peng, Yan, Lei, Leng, Feifan, Nan, Wenbing, Yue, Xiaoxuan, Zheng, Yani, Feng, Na, Li, Hongyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2011; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans; Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans - metabolism; Arsenic - isolation & purification; Arsenic - metabolism; Arsenicals - chemistry; Arsenicals - metabolism; Bioleaching; Biological and medical sciences; Bioremoval; Biotechnology; Environment and pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Iron - metabolism; Mathematical models; Realgar; Sulfides - chemistry; Sulfides - metabolism; Sulfur - metabolism; Realgar; Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans; Bioleaching; Mathematical models; Bioremoval; Energy source; Iron II; Bacterial leaching; Bioremediation; Mathematical model; Sulfur; Chemical element
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.11.059

The characteristics of the bioleaching of realgar by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans BY-3 (A. ferrooxidans) were investigated in this work. We examined the effects of using ferrous iron and elemental sulfur as the sole and mixed energy sources on the bioleaching of realgar. Under all experimental conditions, A. ferrooxidans BY-3 significantly enhanced the dissolution of realgar. Moreover, arsenic was more efficiently leached using A. ferrooxidans BY-3 in the presence of ferrous iron than in other culture conditions. A high concentration of arsenic was observed in the absence of alternative energy sources. This concentration was higher than that in cultures with sulfur only and lower than that in cultures with ferrous iron and sulfur. Linear or nonlinear models best fit the experimental data; the nonlinear model exhibited the dual effects of dissolution and removal on the bioleaching of realgar, whereas the linear model only applied to situations of slow bioleaching rather than removal.