"Bioshrouding": a novel approach for securing reactive mineral tailings.
A novel technique ("bioshrouding") for safeguarding highly reactive sulfidic mineral tailings deposits is proposed. In this, freshly milled wastes are colonised with ferric iron-reducing heterotrophic acidophilic bacteria that form biofilms on reactive mineral surfaces, thereby preventing or minimising colonisation by iron sulfide-oxidising chemolithotrophs such as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum spp. Data from initial experiments showed that dissolution of pyrite could be reduced by between 57 and 75% by "bioshrouding" the mineral with three different species of heterotrophic acidophiles (Acidiphilium, Acidocella and Acidobacterium spp.), under conditions that were conducive to microbial oxidative dissolution of the iron sulfide.
Johnson
D Barrie
DB
School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, UK. d.b.johnson@bangor.ac.uk
Yajie
Liu
L
Okibe
Naoko
N
D016947:Acetobacteraceae / Q000254:growth & development*; D042763:Acidithiobacillus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018441:Biofilms; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry; D008906:Mining / Q000379:methods*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry
D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D008903:Minerals; D013440:Sulfides; C011342:pyrite; D007501:Iron