• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.338-341
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• 2006

The growth characteristics of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans AZ11, MET, and TAS were investigated in mineral salt media supplemented with elemental sulfur of 1$\sim$50 g $L^{-1}$. The sulfur oxidation rates of A. thiooxidans. MET and TAS increased highly with increasing sulfur concentration up to 10 g L$^{-1}$, but the rates increased slowly in sulfur concentration over 10 g L$^{-1}$. A. thiooxidans AZ11 showed the parallel increase of sulfur oxidation rate until sulfur concentration increased up to 40 g L$^{-1}$. The maximum sulfur oxidation rates (V$_{max}$) of AZl1, MET and TAS were 1.88, 1.38 and 0.43 g S L$^{-1}$ d$^{-1}$, respectively. The maximum specific growth rates (${\mu}_{max}$) of AZ11, MET, and TAS were 0.33 d$^{-1}$, 0.30 d$^{-1}$ and 0.45 d$^{-1}$, respectively. Although MET and TAS couldn't grow at sulfate concentration of 40 g L$^{-1}$, AZ11 could grow in the presence of 58 g L$^{-1}$ sulfate, the final oxidation product of elemental sulfur.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.56-61
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• 2004

A plasmid pSDK-l containing the Escherichia coli phosphofructokinase-l gene (pfkA) was constructed, and transferred into extremely acidophilic Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Tt-7 by conjugation with the aid of plasmid RP4 at a frequency of $10^{-5}$ per recipient. This plasmid was stable in A. thiooxidans. The pfkA gene from E. coli could be expressed in this obligately autotrophic bacterium, but the enzyme activity (21.6 U/g protein) was lower than that in E. coli (K12: 85.9 Dig protein; DF1010 carrying plasmid pSDK-l: 96.6 U/g protein). In the presence of glucose, the Tt-7 transconjugants consumed glucose, leading to a better growth yield.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.14-23
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• 2021

To investigate the potential for leaching of heavy metals by bacteria from ores stacked on actual mining sites, leaching tests of a complex metallic ore (Pb-Zn-As ore) were conducted over 60 days using acidophile bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans under initial acidic conditions. Initially, a small amount of heavy metals was leached due to the initial acidic conditions. After 20 days, when A. thiooxidans in the reactor was adapted to the ore, the amount of leached heavy metals rapidly increased; the concentrations of leached arsenic, iron, and zinc reached a maximum of 2800, 3700, and 2500 mg/L, respectively. On the other hand, in the presence of A. ferrooxidans or in the control test without bacteria, heavy metals, except zinc, were barely detected in leaching. Through this study, it was confirmed that (i) bacteria could leach heavy metals at mining sites under acidic conditions and (ii) leaching of heavy metals from a high arsenic-containing ore by A. thiooxidans was more significant than that by A. ferrooxidans.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2014

Dewatering is an extremely important step in wastewater treatment process to reduce the final sludge volume in order to minimize the cost of sludge transportation and disposal. In the present study, the effect of different sludge solids content (1, 2 and 3.8%) on the dewaterability of anaerobically digested sludge using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans was studied. The pH reduction rate was higher during initial process in the sludge having low solids content, but after 48 h of bioleaching, similar pH of below 3 was observed with all the different solids content. Bio-oxidation rate of $Fe^{2+}$ was initially higher in sludge with low solids content, but 100% $Fe^{2+}$ was oxidized within 60 h in all the three treatment levels. Compared to the control, specific resistance to filtration was reduced by 75, 78 and 80% in the sludge with a solids content of 1, 2 and 3.8% respectively, showing improvement in dewaterability with an increase in sludge solids content. Sludge effluent quality and sludge settling rate were also improved in treatments with higher solids content after the bioleaching process.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.5-11
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• 2012

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the most severe environmental problem that results from the oxidation of pyrite $(FeS_2)$ and various other metal sulfides. In this study, the influence of microorganism was tested on the process where AMD was released and the method to inhibit AMD generated by microorganisms at abandoned mine area. The activity and growth rate of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, common microorganisms affecting AMD occurrence, were measured. Chlorine dioxide $(ClO_2)$, NaCl, or surfactant (ASOR-770) was used as an inhibitor for working on activity and growth of microorganism. Among the three inhibitors, 10ppm of chlorine dioxide was the most effective inhibitor for AMD control due to the reduced the activity and growth of microorganisms by 20%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2018.11a
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• pp.476-477
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• 2018

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.457-469
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• 2009

Applicability of bioleaching techniques using a sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, for remediation of shooting range soil contaminated with toxic heavy metals was investigated. The effects of sulfur concentration, the amount of bacterial inoculum and operation temperature on the efficiency of heavy metal solubilization were examined as well. As sulfur concentration and the amount of bacterial inoculum increased, the solubilization efficiency slightly increased; however, significant decrease of heavy metal extraction was observed with no addition of sulfur or bacterial inoculum. Bacteria solubilized the higher amount of heavy metals at $26^{\circ}C$ than $4^{\circ}C$. Lead showed the highest removal amount from the contaminated soil but the lowest removal efficiency when compared with Zn, Cu and Cr. It was likely due to formation of insoluble $PbSO_{4(s)}$ as precipitate or colloidal suspension. Sequential extraction of the microbially treated soil revealed that the proportion of readily extractable phases of Zn, Cu and Cr increased by bacterial leaching, and thus additional treatment or optimization of operation conditions such as leaching time were required for safe reuse of the soil. Bioleaching appeared to be a useful strategy for remediation of shooting range soil contaminated with heavy metals, and various operating conditions including concentration of sulfur input, inoculum volume of bacteria, and operation temperature exerted significant influence on bioleaching efficiency.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.30-44
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• 2011

This review describes the involvement of different microorganisms for the recovery of uranium from the ore. Mainly Acidithiobacillus forrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans are found to be the most widely used bacteria in the bioleaching process of uranium. The bioleaching of uranium generally follows indirect mechanism in which bacteria provide the ferric iron required to oxidize $U^{4+}$. Commercial applications of bioleaching have been incorporated for extracting valuable metals, due to its favorable process economics and reduced environmental problems compared to conventional metal recovery processes such as smelting. At present the uranium is recovered through main bioleaching techniques employed by heap, dump and in situ leaching. Process development has included recognition of the importance of aeration of bioheaps, and improvements in stirred tank reactor design and operation. Concurrently, knowledge of the key microorganisms involved in these processes has advanced, aided by advances in molecular biology to characterize microbial populations.