Biogeochemistry of metal sulfide oxidation in mining environments, sediments, and soils

Schippers, Axel

doi:10.1130/0-8137-2379-5.49

Cited by 85 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 81 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Closing the cycle, the reduced iron generated during mineral attacks is re-oxidized by the microorganisms. Two ways of oxidation of the mineral sulfide have been proposed and depend upon its composition [11][12][13][14]. The so-called thiosulfate pathway oxidizes species like pyrite, molybdenite, and tungstenite, while sphalerite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, and galena are oxidized via polysulfide pathway.…”

Section: Bioleaching Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Copper Bioleaching in Chile

Gentina

Acevedo

2016

Minerals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Chile has a great tradition of producing and exporting copper. Over the last several decades, it has become the first producer on an international level. Its copper reserves are also the most important on the planet. However, after years of mineral exploitation, the ease of extracting copper oxides and ore copper content has diminished. To keep the production level high, the introduction of new technologies has become necessary. One that has been successful is bioleaching. Chile had the first commercial operation in the world exclusively via bioleaching copper sulfides. Nowadays, all bioleaching operations run in the country contribute to an estimated 10% of total copper production. This article presents antecedents that have contributed to the development of copper bioleaching in Chile.

show abstract

Section: Bioleaching Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Copper Bioleaching in Chile

Gentina

Acevedo

2016

Minerals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…When Fe(III) (hydr)oxides are dissolved, adsorbed or precipitated metals are released. Sulfate-reducing Bacteria or Archaea may also precipitate metals as metal sulfides (22,49,50).Primarily cultivation techniques have been used to enumerate prokaryotes involved in oxidation and reduction processes in sulfidic mine waste dumps (3,17,52,57,64). Cultivation techniques yield cell numbers merely according to physiological properties; therefore, only a subset of the whole microbial community is detected.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative Microbial Community Analysis of Three Different Sulfidic Mine Tailing Dumps Generating Acid Mine Drainage

Kock

Schippers

2008

Appl Environ Microbiol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The microbial communities of three different sulfidic and acidic mine waste tailing dumps located in Botswana, Germany, and Sweden were quantitatively analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), catalyzed reporter deposition-FISH (CARD-FISH), Sybr green II direct counting, and the most probable number (MPN) cultivation technique. Depth profiles of cell numbers showed that the compositions of the microbial communities are greatly different at the three sites and also strongly varied between zones of oxidized and unoxidized tailings. Maximum cell numbers of up to 10 9 cells g ؊1 dry weight were determined in the pyrite or pyrrhotite oxidation zones, whereas cell numbers in unoxidized tailings were significantly lower. Mining residues from mining activities are dumped as waste rock or as tailings, which are metal-degraded materials from ore processing. Both kinds of dumps often contain sulfide minerals such as pyrite (FeS 2 ) or pyrrhotite (Fe 1Ϫx S, x ϭ 0 to 0.125) and release acidic metal-rich waters known as acid mine drainage (AMD)/acid rock drainage (ARD) because of chemical and microbial sulfide oxidation processes, e.g.,Over a period of several years, an oxidized zone with depleted sulfide content, low pH, and enrichment of secondary minerals develops above an unoxidized zone with unaltered material in the waste dump (e.g., references 4, 14, 21, 40, and 49).Several geomicrobiological investigations of sulfidic mine waste dumps located in different climate zones have been undertaken to gather information about microbial processes and diversity in these extreme environments. At such sites, aerobic, acidophilic, chemolithotrophic Bacteria or Archaea dissolve metal sulfides by oxidizing Fe(II) and sulfur compounds and generate AMD/ARD. Products resulting from these oxidation processes can be used by Fe(III)-and sulfate-reducing prokaryotes. When Fe(III) (hydr)oxides are dissolved, adsorbed or precipitated metals are released. Sulfate-reducing Bacteria or Archaea may also precipitate metals as metal sulfides (22,49,50).Primarily cultivation techniques have been used to enumerate prokaryotes involved in oxidation and reduction processes in sulfidic mine waste dumps (3,17,52,57,64). Cultivation techniques yield cell numbers merely according to physiological properties; therefore, only a subset of the whole microbial community is detected. Up to this point, only qualitative molecular biological tests were applied to sulfidic mine dumps such as cloning and subsequent sequencing (7), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (12, 38), and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (7, 13). In addition, protein and lipid analysis (37, 58) were performed with tailing samples. These investigations provided valuable information about the microbial diversity in mine dumps but little information about the quantities of the different microbial groups or species. The molecular biological quantification technique fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and metagenomic an...

show abstract

“…It has been reported that the overall rate of polythionate oxidation is markedly slower than the rate of oxidation of thiosulphate (forming polythionate) in acidic, ferric-rich solutions (Druschel, Hamers, and Banfield, 2003). In contrast, polythionate degrades at low pH in the presence of sulphide (FeS 2 ) (Schippers, 2004).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tetrathionate formation has been reported as a product of pyrite oxidation at pH 2.9-8.6 in the presence of molecular oxygen, at pH 8 in the presence of MnO 2 , and at pH 2 in the presence of Fe(III) (Schippers, 2004). Other sources state that in order to minimize formation of polythionates during leaching, it is necessary to maintain the acid concentration at greater than 5 g/L H 2 SO 4 (Nugent, 1956;Druschel and Borda, 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Polythionate formation during uranium recovery from sulphide flotation concentrate

Yahorava¹,

Bazhko²

2018

J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Uranium recovery by resin-in-pulp (RIP) from sulphide-bearing material was found to be adversely affected by polythionate formation due to partial oxidation of sulphide minerals. Polythionates are loaded more selectively by the conventional strong-base resins used at uranium plants.A study was undertaken to identify whether polythionates are formed during upstream processing, leaching, or ion exchange recovery steps. It was found that polythionate formation could be minimized by shortening of the leach time, optimizing oxidant and acid addition, minimizing delay between leaching and RIP, and maintaining the neutralization and adsorption retention times as short as possible.These insights could prompt the development of mitigation strategies on commercial plants to reduce or avoid the formation of polythionates and the adverse impact it has on uranium recovery. uranium recovery, resin-in-pulp, polythionate formation.* Mintek, Randburg, South Africa.

show abstract

Biogeochemistry of metal sulfide oxidation in mining environments, sediments, and soils

Cited by 85 publications

References 81 publications

Copper Bioleaching in Chile

Copper Bioleaching in Chile

Quantitative Microbial Community Analysis of Three Different Sulfidic Mine Tailing Dumps Generating Acid Mine Drainage

Polythionate formation during uranium recovery from sulphide flotation concentrate

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About