Bioleaching of heavy metals from mine tailings by indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria: effects of substrate concentration.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of substrate concentration (elemental sulfur) on remobilization of heavy metals from mine tailings by indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Also, the variation in the binding forms of heavy metals before and after bioleaching was explored. This work showed the laboratory results of bioleaching experiments on Pb-Zn-Cu mine tailings. The results showed that 97.54% Zn, 97.12% Cu, and 44.34% Pb could be removed from mine tailings by the bioleaching experiment after 13 days at 2% w/v substrate concentration. The results also indicated that substrate concentration 2% was found to be best to bacterial activity and metal solubilization of the five substrate concentration tested (0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 5%) under the chosen experimental conditions. The bioleaching had a significant impact on changes in partitioning of heavy metals.
Liu
Yun-Guo
YG
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China. axore@163.com
Zhou
Ming
M
Zeng
Guang-Ming
GM
Wang
Xin
X
Li
Xin
X
Fan
Ting
T
Xu
Wei-Hua
WH
D001419:Bacteria; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry*; D016999:Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D013455:Sulfur; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc; D010100:Oxygen