Microbial community study of the iron ore concentrate of the Sishen Iron Ore Mine, South Africa

Williams, Peter; Cloete, T.E.

doi:10.1007/s11274-008-9777-4

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Concentrations of a particular mineral can alter local conditions and microbiology ( Lehman et al, 2001 ), though they are rarely of significant volume in comparison to the total crustal volume ( Williams and Cloete, 2008 ; Daly et al, 2016 ). Ores are mineral concentrations of economic interest, and here includes hydrocarbon (e.g., coal) and halite deposits in addition to metal-containing ores.…”

Section: Earth’s Subsurface Habitat Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low Energy Subsurface Environments as Extraterrestrial Analogs

2018

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Earth’s subsurface is often isolated from phototrophic energy sources and characterized by chemotrophic modes of life. These environments are often oligotrophic and limited in electron donors or electron acceptors, and include continental crust, subseafloor oceanic crust, and marine sediment as well as subglacial lakes and the subsurface of polar desert soils. These low energy subsurface environments are therefore uniquely positioned for examining minimum energetic requirements and adaptations for chemotrophic life. Current targets for astrobiology investigations of extant life are planetary bodies with largely inhospitable surfaces, such as Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Subsurface environments on Earth thus serve as analogs to explore possibilities of subsurface life on extraterrestrial bodies. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of subsurface environments as potential analogs, and the features of microbial communities existing in these low energy environments, with particular emphasis on how they inform the study of energetic limits required for life. The thermodynamic energetic calculations presented here suggest that free energy yields of reactions and energy density of some metabolic redox reactions on Mars, Europa, Enceladus, and Titan could be comparable to analog environments in Earth’s low energy subsurface habitats.

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Section: Earth’s Subsurface Habitat Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low Energy Subsurface Environments as Extraterrestrial Analogs

2018

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“…High grades iron ore are usually associated with the Asbestos Hills subgroup while the medium and lower grade iron ore are found in the Campbell Rand and Gamagara subgroups, respectively (Carney and Mienie 2003). The low grade iron ore of Sishen mine has high K ([0.24%) and P ([0.03) contents that diminishes their market value and could render them non-exportable because of their negative impact on the smelting process in the blast furnace (Parks et al 1990;Yusfin et al 1999;Williams and Cloete 2008;Delvasto et al 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in the leaching of non-sulfidic minerals such as silicate, carbonate and oxide minerals that cannot be directly attacked by sulfur-oxidising bacteria, fungi are the more suitable candidates (Burgstaller and Schinner 1993;Jain and Sharma 2004;Rawlings 2005;Williams and Cloete 2008). In the leaching of non-sulfide ores, only two fungal types; Aspergillus and Penicillium spp., have received considerable attention (Burgstaller and Schinner 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobilisation of potassium and phosphorus from iron ore by ectomycorrhizal fungi

Adeleke

Cloete

Bertrand

et al. 2010

World J Microbiol Biotechnol

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Mutualistic roles of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi have been linked to their ability to produce organic acids that aid in the dissolution of insoluble minerals in the rhizosphere. This ability of ECM fungi was utilised to investigate their potential participation in the mobilisation of nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) from a typical insoluble ore-iron ore. In vitro pure cultures of four different ECM fungi; Pisolithus tinctorius, Paxillus involutus, Phialocephala fortini, and Suillus tomentosus were screened for their ability to mobilise P and K from two types of non-exportable Sishen iron ore. When present in iron ore, these elements are deleterious and reduce the commercial values of the ore. Experiment was set up with different treatments that included two ore types (KGT and SK) and five particle sizes of each ore type. Results indicated the potential of the four fungi to mobilise P and K from the two iron ore types though at different levels. Ore type, particle size, organic acid production and attachment of the fungi to the iron ore were all found to play important roles in the mobilisation of nutrients from these ores.

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“…These properties have made iron ore special and suitable for different applications in various industrial processes (Gutzmer et al 2001;Beukes et al 2003). Over the past few decades, the surge in the global demand for iron ore has led to increase production and exportation of this mineral by the iron ore-producing countries (Williams and Cloete 2008;Delvasto et al 2009). With this development, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find this mineral in its pure form.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Iron ore mining companies are now faced with the challenges of refining and reprocessing low-grade iron ore minerals. Such poor quality iron ore minerals contain contaminants such as potassium, phosphorus, aluminium and sodium which are deleterious to the processing and products of this mineral (Parks et al 1990;Yusfin et al 1999;Williams and Cloete 2008;Delvasto et al 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Culturable microorganisms associated with Sishen iron ore and their potential roles in biobeneficiation

Adeleke

Cloete

Khasa

2011

World J Microbiol Biotechnol

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With one of the largest iron ore deposits in the world, South Africa is recognised to be among the top ten biggest exporters of iron ore. Increasing demand and consumption of this mineral triggered search for processing technologies, which can be utilised to "purify" the low-grade iron ore minerals that contain high levels of unwanted potassium (K) and phosphorus (P). This study investigated a potential biological method that can be further developed for the full biobeneficiation of low-grade iron ore minerals. Twenty-three bacterial strains that belong to Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobateria were isolated from the iron ore minerals and identified with sequence homology and phylogenetic methods. The abilities of these isolates to lower the pH of the growth medium and solubilisation of tricalcium phosphate were used to screen them as potential mineral solubilisers. Eight isolates were successfully screened with this method and utilised in shake flask experiments using iron ore minerals as sources of K and P. The shake flask experiments revealed that all eight isolates have potentials to produce organic acids that aided the solubilisation of the iron ore minerals. In addition, all eight isolates produced high concentrations of gluconic acid followed by relatively lower concentrations of acetic, citric and propanoic acid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses also indicated extracellular polymeric substances could play a role in mineral solubilisation.

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Microbial community study of the iron ore concentrate of the Sishen Iron Ore Mine, South Africa

Abstract: As a result of the advancing global technologies and civilisation, there has been a

Cited by 15 publications

References 43 publications

Low Energy Subsurface Environments as Extraterrestrial Analogs

Low Energy Subsurface Environments as Extraterrestrial Analogs

Mobilisation of potassium and phosphorus from iron ore by ectomycorrhizal fungi

Culturable microorganisms associated with Sishen iron ore and their potential roles in biobeneficiation

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