Evaluation of diphasic microbial gold extraction from Muteh sulfidic ore, Golpayegan

Subject Areas : Industrial Microbiology

Seyed Mansour Meybodi ¹ , Maryam Asghar Heidari ² , Masoud Mobini ³

1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Tonkabon branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonkabon, Iran.
2 - MS.c., Young Researchers and Elite Club , Tonkabon branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonkabon, Iran.
3 - MS.c., Young Researchers and Elite Club , Tonkabon branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonkabon, Iran.

Received: 2015-07-23 Accepted : 2015-09-23 Published : 2016-11-01

Keywords: Gold, Diphasic extraction, Sulfidic ore, Muteh,

Abstract :

Background & Objectives: Since biological methods for metal extraction, such as bioleaching, are environmental friendly, there are high demands to be replaced with the chemical and physical methods. The aim of this study was to extract gold from Muteh sulfide ore by two microbial phases. Materials & Methods: Isolation of iron oxidizing bacteria was performed by adding mineral samples into 9k medium. At the first phase of the mineral bioleaching process, the ores were cut into different diameters, and after adding the rocks to the standard medium (1%), they were assessed after 7 days by x-ray diffraction method to study the existence of sulfide minerals. The cyanide producer bacteria were isolated by growing into TSA solid medium. In the second phase, the materials obtained from first phase were exposed to cyanogen bacteria, and the sediments were investigated by ICP. Results: Based on the results, the isolated bacteria from Sarcheshmeh mining were able to oxidize strongly ferrous and to remove pyrite from ore after 7 days. In the second phase, the isolated bacteria from Tonekabon arable soil could remove gold  of (0.023 mg/l). The best range of Au recovery was produced in pH 7. Conclusion: The isolated bacteria in this study were able to separate Au in two phases of microbial process, consisting of sulfide mineralization and recovery from  aqueous form by cyanide bacteria. 

References:

1. Cummings S, Baxter J. The current and future applications of microorganism in the bioremediation of cyanide contamination. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. 2006; 90: 1-17.

2. Prabhakar S, Bhaskar Raju G, Subba Rao S, Vijaya Kumar T. Flotation and cyanidation of a semi-refractory gold ore. Europe J Mineral Process Environ Protec. 2004; 4(1): 36-42.

3. Mohseni M. 1995. Isolation and identification of pyrite degrading microorganism’s activity from some region in Iran. M.Sc. thesis. College of Science. Tehran University. [In Persian]

4. Acevedo F, Gentina JC, Garcia N. CO₂ supply in the biooxidation of an enargite-pyrite gold concentrate. Biotechnol Lett. 1998; 20(3):  257-259.

5. Abdollahi MJ, Karimpour MH, Kheradmand A, Saki A. Petrology and geochemistry of rock hosted Muteh gold mine Isfahan. J Sci Shahid Chamran Uni. 2008; 20: 39-53. [In Persian]

6. Acevedo F. Bio hydrometallurgy. Biotechnol. 2000; 10: 1-7.

7. Knowles C. Microorganisms and cyanide. Biol Rev. 1976; (40): 652-680.

8. Meybodi SM, Nouhi AS, Ghaemi N, Mazaheri Assadi M, Hashemi SR, Ghomi MR. Isolation and characterization of iron oxidizing “Leptospirillum like” bacterium, from Zirab coal mine & evaluation of Bama sulfidic ore leaching by this strain. Iran J Biological Sci. 2007. 2(1): 9-27.

9. Silverman MP, Lundgren DG. Studies on the chemoautotrophic iron bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. An improved medium and a harvesting procedure for securing high cellular yields. J Bacteriol. 1959; 77: 642-647.

10. Brandl H, Lehmann S, Faramarzi MA, Martinelli D. Biomobilization of silver, gold, and platinum from solid waste materials by HCN-forming microorganisms. Hydrometallurgy. 2008; 94(1-4): 14-17.

11. Alstrom S. Factors associated with detrimental effects of rhizobacteria on plant growth. Plant Soil. 1987; 102: 3-9.

12. Surleva A, Zaharia M, Ion L, Gradinaru RV, Drochioiu G, Mangalagiu I. Ninhydrin-based spectrophotometric assays of trace cyanide. Acta Chemica IASI. 2013; 21: 57-70.

13. Harding E, Holbert E. Enrichment and isolation of Thiobacillus. Copyright: Lynda Harding, California state University. 2000.

14. Singleton P. Bacteria: In: Biology biotechnology and medicine. 6^th Edition. Chi Chester, West Sussex PO19 8SQ. England; 2005

15. Das A, Modak JM, Natarajan KA. Surface chemical studies of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans with reference to copper tolerance. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. 1998; 73(3): 215-222.

16. Raheb J, Khoshroo H, Azimi A, Nasernejad B, Sanati MH, Naghdi S, Arabnezhad M. Isolation and characterization of a new Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans from the Aliabad Copper Mine in Yazd using 16s-23s spacer gene nucleotide sequencing method. J Sci, I Rep Iran. 2007; 18(3): 209-213.

17. Khan S, Haq F. Isolation and characterization of acidophilic sulphur and iron oxidizing Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans from Black Shale. Int J Biosci. 2012; 2(2): 85-94.

18. Ziloui H. 2001. Isolation and identification of mesophilic bacteria involved in biological leaching process of sulfide ore and survey of kinetic parameters. M.Sc. thesis in Biotechnology. Trbiat Modaress University. [In Persian]

19. Zandvakili S, Ranjbar M, Manafi Z. 2005. Evaluate the performance of microbial extract of copper from waste Sarcheshmeh copper complex. 4^th National Conference on Biotechnology of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Kerman. [In Persian]

20. Salari H, Mozafari H, Torkzadeh M, Moghtader M. Pyrite   oxidation   by  using  Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans in pure and mixed cultures. Biodivers Conserv. 2008; 2: 115-123.

21. Nyavor K. Egiebor NO, Fedorak PM. The effect of ferric ion on the rate of ferrous oxidation by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 1996; 45(5): 688-691.

22. Liu MS, Branion RMR, Duncan DW. The effects of ferrous iron, dissolved oxygen, and inert solids concentrations on the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Can J Chemi Engineer. 1988; 66(3): 445-451.

23. Amaro AM, Chamorro DO, Seeger M, Arredondo RE, Peirano IR, Jerez CA. Effect of external pH perturbations on in vivo protein synthesis by the acidophilic bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. J Bacteriol. 1991; 173(2): 910-915.

24. Elzeky M, Attia YA. Effect of bacterial adaptation on kinetics and mechanisms of bioleaching ferrous sulfides. Chem Eng J. 1995; 56(2): 115-125.

25. Jayaprakashvel M, Muthezhilan R, Srinivasan R, Jaffar Hussain A. Hydrogen cyanide mediated biocontrol potential of Pseudomonas Sp. AMET1055 isolated from the rhizosphere of Coastal Sand Dune Vegetation. Advanced Biotech. 2010; 9(10): 39-42.

26. Ahmadzadeh M, Sharifi Tehrani A, Talebi Jahromi K. Survey of antimicrobial metabolites production by some of Pseudomonas fluorescens. Agr Sci Iran. 2004; 35(3): 731-739. [In Persian]

27. Willner J, Fornalczyk A. Extraction of metals from electronic waste by bacterial leaching. Environ Protec Engineer. 2013; 39(1): 197-208.

28. Faramarzi MA, Brandl H. Mobilization of copper and nickel from coins by HCN-forming Pseudomonas plecoglossicida and Chromobacterium violaceum. J Biotechnol. 2008; 136: S703.

29. Tay SB, Natarajan G, bin Abdul Rahim MN, Tan HT, Chung MCM, Ting YP, Yew WS. Enhancing gold recovery from electronic waste via lixiviant metabolic engineering in Chromobacterium violaceum. Scientific Reports. 2013; 1: 3.

30. Fantauzzi M, Licheri C, Atzei D, Loi G, Elsener B, Rossi G, Rossi A. Arsenopyrite and pyrite bioleaching: evidence from XPS, XRD and ICP techniques. Analytic Bioanalytic Chem. 2011; 401(7): 2237-2248.‏