Effects of elevated pressures on the activity of acidophilic bioleaching microorganisms

Réka Hajdu-Rahkama; Sarita Ahoranta; Aino-Maija Lakaniemi; Jaakko A. Puhakka

doi:10.1016/j.bej.2019.107286

Effects of elevated pressures on the activity of acidophilic bioleaching microorganisms

Réka Hajdu-Rahkama^*, Sarita Ahoranta, Aino-Maija Lakaniemi, Jaakko A. Puhakka

^*Corresponding author for this work

Not published at VTT

Tampere University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study reports effects of elevated pressures on the oxidation of a soluble ferrous iron and low-grade sulphidic ore as little is known about biological iron and sulphur oxidation under these conditions. Pressure effects were studied in a pressurised batch-operated stirred tank reactor using acidophilic enrichment cultures. The oxidation of soluble Fe²⁺ by enrichment culture dominated by Leptospirillum ferriphilum, Sulfobacillus sp. and Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum increased with increasing pressure induced by technical air to up to +3 bar (0.63 bar P_O2) and was inhibited at +7 bar (1.47 bar P_O2). Elevated pressures induced by nitrogen (low oxygen partial pressure) were tolerated up to +40 bar. Another enrichment culture dominated by Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Sulfobacillus sp. and F. acidiphilum partially oxidised the ore at pressures up to +20 bar induced with air (4.2 bar P_O2). This is the first study reporting activity of acidophiles under pressurised conditions in a stirred tank reactor.

Original language	English
Article number	107286
Journal	Biochemical Engineering Journal
Volume	150
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bej.2019.107286
Publication status	Published - Oct 2019
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

The sulphidic ore experiments present results from PreGOLD project (decision number 40079/13) conducted as part of the Green Mining Programme funded by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (TEKES). The work was also supported by a Fund for the Association of Finnish Steel and Metal Producers operating under the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation (S. Ahoranta). The soluble iron experiments were part of the BIOMOre (An Alternative Mining Concept) project that was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No 642456). The authors would like to thank Labtium Ltd. for the sulphidic ore analysis.

Keywords

Acidophiles
Biooxidation
Iron oxidation
Pressure tolerance
Pressurised stirred tank reactor

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10.1016/j.bej.2019.107286

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abstract = "This study reports effects of elevated pressures on the oxidation of a soluble ferrous iron and low-grade sulphidic ore as little is known about biological iron and sulphur oxidation under these conditions. Pressure effects were studied in a pressurised batch-operated stirred tank reactor using acidophilic enrichment cultures. The oxidation of soluble Fe2+ by enrichment culture dominated by Leptospirillum ferriphilum, Sulfobacillus sp. and Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum increased with increasing pressure induced by technical air to up to +3 bar (0.63 bar PO2) and was inhibited at +7 bar (1.47 bar PO2). Elevated pressures induced by nitrogen (low oxygen partial pressure) were tolerated up to +40 bar. Another enrichment culture dominated by Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Sulfobacillus sp. and F. acidiphilum partially oxidised the ore at pressures up to +20 bar induced with air (4.2 bar PO2). This is the first study reporting activity of acidophiles under pressurised conditions in a stirred tank reactor.",

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AU - Puhakka, Jaakko A.

PY - 2019/10

Y1 - 2019/10

N2 - This study reports effects of elevated pressures on the oxidation of a soluble ferrous iron and low-grade sulphidic ore as little is known about biological iron and sulphur oxidation under these conditions. Pressure effects were studied in a pressurised batch-operated stirred tank reactor using acidophilic enrichment cultures. The oxidation of soluble Fe2+ by enrichment culture dominated by Leptospirillum ferriphilum, Sulfobacillus sp. and Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum increased with increasing pressure induced by technical air to up to +3 bar (0.63 bar PO2) and was inhibited at +7 bar (1.47 bar PO2). Elevated pressures induced by nitrogen (low oxygen partial pressure) were tolerated up to +40 bar. Another enrichment culture dominated by Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Sulfobacillus sp. and F. acidiphilum partially oxidised the ore at pressures up to +20 bar induced with air (4.2 bar PO2). This is the first study reporting activity of acidophiles under pressurised conditions in a stirred tank reactor.

AB - This study reports effects of elevated pressures on the oxidation of a soluble ferrous iron and low-grade sulphidic ore as little is known about biological iron and sulphur oxidation under these conditions. Pressure effects were studied in a pressurised batch-operated stirred tank reactor using acidophilic enrichment cultures. The oxidation of soluble Fe2+ by enrichment culture dominated by Leptospirillum ferriphilum, Sulfobacillus sp. and Ferrimicrobium acidiphilum increased with increasing pressure induced by technical air to up to +3 bar (0.63 bar PO2) and was inhibited at +7 bar (1.47 bar PO2). Elevated pressures induced by nitrogen (low oxygen partial pressure) were tolerated up to +40 bar. Another enrichment culture dominated by Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Sulfobacillus sp. and F. acidiphilum partially oxidised the ore at pressures up to +20 bar induced with air (4.2 bar PO2). This is the first study reporting activity of acidophiles under pressurised conditions in a stirred tank reactor.

KW - Acidophiles

KW - Biooxidation

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KW - Pressure tolerance

KW - Pressurised stirred tank reactor

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Effects of elevated pressures on the activity of acidophilic bioleaching microorganisms

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Keywords

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