title: Effect of substrate concentration on bioleaching of metal-contaminated sediment.
abstract: The remediation of metal-contaminated sediment was studied using the bioleaching process with a mixed culture of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The effects of substrate concentration (elemental sulfur) on sediment acidification, sulfur oxidation and metal solubilization from contaminated sediment during the bioleaching process were investigated with free-cell suspensions. Sulfur concentration greater than 0.5% (w/v) was found to be inhibitory to bacterial activity and metal solubilization from sediment. The sulfate production was well described by a substrate inhibition expression and Haldane's equation. In addition, an empirical equation related to sulfur concentration was also used to describe the metal solubilization in the bioleaching process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, 75 Po-Ai Street, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D012995:Solubility; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry; D013855:Thiobacillus / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D013431:Sulfates