Enrichment and isolation of phosphorus solubilizing bacteria

The aim of this study was to enrich phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms from highphosphorus iron ores, apatite ores and phosphogypsum waste. Phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms can be utilized in dephosphorization of high-phosphorus iron ores and in phosphorus leaching from fluorapatite ores. Low grade fluorapatite ore (3.6% P, pH 6.8), fluorapatite concentrate (13% P, pH 8.3), phosphogypsum waste (0.7% P, pH 2.3), iron ore 1 (0.19% P, pH 7.6) and iron ore 2 (0.18% P, pH 7.6) were used as potential sources of phosphorus solubilizing microorganisms. The samples were cultured in NBRIP media at pH 5 and 8 with either glucose or sucrose as a carbon source, and in modified 9K media at pH 1.5 and 2.5 for 3 weeks. Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria were enriched only from the fluorapatite concentrate at the pH of 8. The four obtained heterotrophic isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and were shown to be closest related to Burkholderia fungorum. These results indicate that the diversity of culturable phosphorus solubilizing bacteria present in apatite and iron ores is relatively low. The isolated Burkholderia strain showed phosphorus solubilizing potential.