title: Bioleaching of rare earth and radioactive elements from red mud using Penicillium tricolor RM-10.
abstract: The aim of this work is to investigate biological leaching of rare earth elements (REEs) and radioactive elements from red mud, and to evaluate the radioactivity of the bioleached red mud used for construction materials. A filamentous, acid-producing fungi named RM-10, identified as Penicillium tricolor, is isolated from red mud. In our bioleaching experiments by using RM-10, a total concentration of 2% (w/v) red mud under one-step bioleaching process was generally found to give the maximum leaching ratios of the REEs and radioactive elements. However, the highest extraction yields are achieved under two-step bioleaching process at 10% (w/v) pulp density. At pulp densities of 2% and 5% (w/v), red mud processed under both one- and two-step bioleaching can meet the radioactivity regulations in China.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lian
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D004603:Elements, Radioactive / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010407:Penicillium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D004603:Elements, Radioactive; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive