• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.30-40
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• 2021

The present study investigates the bioleaching efficiencies of arsenic via contact and non-contact mechanisms. The attachment of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was restricted by a partition system comprising a semi-permeable membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 12-14 kDa. The results were compared for two arsenic concentrations in the system (1.0% and 0.5% w/v) to maintain a homogeneous system. The overall bacterial performance was monitored by comparing total arsenic and iron concentrations, Fe ion speciation, pH, and solution redox potentials in flask bioleaching experiments over a period of 10 d. Our results indicated that bacterial attachment could increase arsenic extraction efficiency from 20.0% to 44.9% at 1.0 % solid concentrations. These findings suggest that the bacterial contact mechanism greatly influences arsenic bioleaching from mine tailings. Therefore, systems involving two-step or non-contact bioleaching are less effective than those involving one-step or contact bioleaching for the efficient extraction of arsenic from mine tailings.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.3-15
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• 2008

Different toxic wastes are disposed of in our surroundings and these will ultimately threaten the existence of living organisms. Biohydrometallurgy, which includes the processes of bioleaching and bioremediation through the activities of microorganisms such as bacterial or fungal species, is a technology that has the potential to overcome many environmental problems at a reasonable economic cost. Bioleaching were carried out for dissolution of metals from different materials using most important metal mobilizing bacteria such as Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Thiobacillus thiooxidans and Laptospirillum ferrooxidans. According to the reaction, bioleaching is parted as direct and indirect mechanism. In direct mechanism the bacteria oxidize the sulphides minerals by accepting electron and producing sulphuric acid in leaching media for their growth and metabolism. In other hand the indirect bioleaching is demonstrated as the oxidation of sulphides mineral by the oxidant like $Fe^{3+}$ produced by the iron oxidizing bacteria. Through this process, substantial amount of metal can be recovered from low-grade ores, concentrates, industrial wastes like sludge, tailings, fly ash, slag, electronic scrap, spent batteries and spent catalysts. This may be alternative technology to solve the high deposition of waste, which moves toward a healthy environment and green world.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.30-44
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• 2011

This review describes the involvement of different microorganisms for the recovery of uranium from the ore. Mainly Acidithiobacillus forrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans are found to be the most widely used bacteria in the bioleaching process of uranium. The bioleaching of uranium generally follows indirect mechanism in which bacteria provide the ferric iron required to oxidize $U^{4+}$. Commercial applications of bioleaching have been incorporated for extracting valuable metals, due to its favorable process economics and reduced environmental problems compared to conventional metal recovery processes such as smelting. At present the uranium is recovered through main bioleaching techniques employed by heap, dump and in situ leaching. Process development has included recognition of the importance of aeration of bioheaps, and improvements in stirred tank reactor design and operation. Concurrently, knowledge of the key microorganisms involved in these processes has advanced, aided by advances in molecular biology to characterize microbial populations.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.1 s.51
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• pp.47-60
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• 2007

While sedimentological researches on Western coastal tidal flats of Korea have been much pelformed previously, mineralogical and biogeochemical studies are beginning to be studied. The objectives of this study were to investigate mineralogical characteritics of the inter-tidal flat sediments and to explore phase transformation of iron(oxyhydr)oxides and biomineralization by metal-reducing bacteria enriched from the inter-tidal flat sediments from Muan, Jeollanam-do, Korea. Inter-tidal flat sediment samples were collected in Chungkye-myun and Haeje-myun, Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Particle size analyses were performed using the pipette method and sedimentation method. The separates including sand, silt and clay fractions were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffiaction (XRD). After enriching the metal-.educing bacteria from the into,-tidal flat sediments, the bacteria were used to study phase transformation of the synthesized iron (oxyhydr)oxides and iron biomineralization using lactate or glucose as the electron donors and Fe(III)-containing iron oxides as the electron accepters. Mineralogical studies showed that the sediments of tidal flats in Chung]rye-myun and Haeje-myun consist of quartz, plagioclase, microcline, biotite, kaolinite and illite. Biogeochemical researches showed that the metal-reducing bacteria enriched from the inter-tidal flat sediments reduced reddish brown akaganeite and mineralized nanometer-sized black magnetite. The bacteria also reduced the reddish brown ferrihydrite into black amorphous phases and reduced the yellowish goethite into greenish with formation of nm-sized phases. These results indicate that microbial Fe(III) reduction may play one of important roles in iron and carbon biogeochemistry as well as iron biomineralization in subsurface environments.

• 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.02a
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• pp.807-810
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• 2008

Permeable reactive barriers containing Zero-valent iron (ZVI) are used to purify ground-water contaminants. One of the representative contaminant is trichloroethylene (TCE). ZVI can act as a reducing agent of TCE. When ZVI is oxidized to Ferric iron, TCE reduced to Ethene, which is non-harmful matter. As a ZVI becomes ferric iron, the reducing effect decreases and iron becomes unavailable. So, constant reduction of TCE requires the regular supply of reducing agent. So, we use Iron-reducing bacteria(IRB) to extend the TCE degrading ability. We perform three experiment DI water, DI water with medium, and DI water with medium and IRB. By the experiment we try to found the dissolve ability.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.5-11
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• 2012

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the most severe environmental problem that results from the oxidation of pyrite $(FeS_2)$ and various other metal sulfides. In this study, the influence of microorganism was tested on the process where AMD was released and the method to inhibit AMD generated by microorganisms at abandoned mine area. The activity and growth rate of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, common microorganisms affecting AMD occurrence, were measured. Chlorine dioxide $(ClO_2)$, NaCl, or surfactant (ASOR-770) was used as an inhibitor for working on activity and growth of microorganism. Among the three inhibitors, 10ppm of chlorine dioxide was the most effective inhibitor for AMD control due to the reduced the activity and growth of microorganisms by 20%.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.112-122
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• 2007

It is known that coal-derived fly ashes have the unique chemical composition and mineralogical characteristics. Since iron oxides in coal fly ash are enriched with heavy metals, the subsurface media including soils, underground water, and sea water are highly likely contaminated with heavy metals when the heavy metals are leached from fly ashes by water-fly ash interactions. The purpose of this study was to investigate how indigenous bacteria affect heavy metal leaching and mineralogy in fly ash slurry during the fly ash-seawater interactions in the ash pond located in Dangjin seashore, Korea. The average pH of ash pond seawater was 8.97 in nature. Geochemical data showed that microbial activity sharply increased after the 7th day of the 60-day course batch experiments. Compared with other samples including autoclaved and natural samples, ${SO_4}^{2-}$ was likely to decrease considerably in the fly ash slurry samples when glucose was added to stimulate the microbial activity. Geochemical data including Eh/pH, alkalinity, and major and trace elements showed that the bacteria not only immobilize metals from the ash pond by facilitating the chemical reaction with Mn, Fe, and Zn but may also be able to play an important role in sequestration of carbon dioxide by carbonate mineral precipitation.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.69-77
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• 2015

Heap bioleaching for detoxification of mine tailings is a promising technology; however, long-term studies that aim to understand the potential of this process are scarce. Therefore, this study assesses the feasibility of column bioleaching as an alternative technology for treatment of mine tailings with high concentrations of arsenic during a long-term experiment (436 days). To accomplish this objective, we designed a 350-mm plastic column that was packed with 750 g of mine tailings and inoculated with an acidophilic bacterial culture composed of A. thiooxidans and A. ferrooxidans. Redox potential, pH, ferric ion generation, and arsenic concentration of the off-solution were continuously monitored to determine the efficiency of the technology. After 436 days, we obtained up to 70% arsenic removal. However, several drops in removal rates were observed during the process; this was attributed to the harmful effect of arsenic on the bacteria consortium. We expect that this article will serve as a technical note for further studies on heap bioleaching of mine tailings.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.238-245
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• 1996

Microbial desulfurization characterlstics of a bituminous coal have been determined by using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. The effects of process variables (such as coal pulp density, particle size and addition of surfactants) on pyrite removal have been investigated in both shake and airlift-bioreactor culture experiments. In shake experiments, pyrite could be removed over 78% for pulp densifies below 20% (w/v) and removed below 40% for pulp densities over 30% (w/v) in 8 days. Pyrite removal decreased with increasing pulp densities, and it also decreased sharply with increasing particle sizes. In airlift bioreactor experiments, pyrite at 50% (w/v) pulp density could be removed about 50%. Its value is much higher than 15% at the same pulp density in a shake experiment. With addition of surfactants, pyrite removal was enhanced in shake experiments significantly, whereas it was slightly decreased in an airlift bioreactor experiment.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2015

Glycine betaine (GB) is one of the compatible solutes that accumulate in the chloroplasts of certain halotolerant plants under salt or cold stress. The codA gene for choline oxidase, the enzyme that converts choline into GB, has been cloned from a soil bacterium Arthrobacter globiformis. We generated transgenic sweetpotato plants [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] expressing codA gene in chloroplasts under the control of the SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SC plants) and evaluated SC plants under oxidative and drought stresses. SC plants showed enhanced tolerance to methyl viologen (MV)-mediated oxidative stress and drought stress due to induced expression of codA. At $5{\mu}M$ of MV treatment, all SC plants showed enhanced tolerance to MV-mediated oxidative stress through maintaining low ion leakage and increased GB levels compared to wild type plants. When plants were subjected to drought conditions, SC plants showed enhanced tolerance to drought stress through maintaining high relative water contents and increased codA expression compared to wild type plants. These results suggest that the SC plants generated in this study will be useful for enhanced biomass production on global marginal lands.