Determining the effect of acid stress on the persistence and growth of thermophilic microbial species after mesophilic colonisation of low grade ore in a heap leach environment
| dc.contributor.author | Tupikina, O V | |
| dc.contributor.author | Minnaar, S H | |
| dc.contributor.author | van Hille, R P | |
| dc.contributor.author | van Wyk, N | |
| dc.contributor.author | Dew, D | |
| dc.contributor.author | Harrison S T L | |
| dc.contributor.author | Rautenbach, G F | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-08-18T11:58:40Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-08-18T11:58:40Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2013 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2016-08-18T11:53:03Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | The microorganisms involved in the bioleaching of sulphidic mineral ores are acidophilic. Generally, a pH in the range of pH 1–2.5 is applied for optimal growth in these systems. In operating heaps, perturbation of conditions could result in changes in the pH outside this “safe” window, so an understanding of the effect of changes in pH on growth and activity of bioleaching microbes is needed. Previous work has shown that some microorganisms e.g. Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Leptospirillum ferriphilum and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans are able to adapt to low pH environments (∼pH 0.9). However, most studies on the response of micro-organisms implicated in mineral bioleaching to pH have been conducted under submerged, aerated culture conditions, with limited performance-based studies conducted under conditions mimicking a heap environment. In this study, the effect of acid stress on the persistence of the thermophilic micro-organisms in the ore bed inoculated at mesophilic conditions and their subsequent growth on reaching thermophilic conditions is considered. Following inoculation, five columns loaded with a low grade chalcopyrite ore were irrigated at a feed pH of 1.7 at 25 °C. After a few days, the temperature was sequentially increased from 25 °C through 37 °C to 50 °C, resulting in an Eh above 850 mV across all columns. The irrigation feed pH was then varied across the range pH 1.0 to 1.7 at 50 °C. Eh values greater than 800 mV could be attained in the columns with feed pH values between pH 1.2 and pH 1.7 at 50 °C. The Eh of the column receiving feed solution at a pH of 1.0 at 50 °C dropped to below 700 mV and did not recover. The temperature was then increased gradually to 60 °C. All the columns with feed pH of 1.2 and higher achieved Eh values above 800 mV. Quantitative analyses of the microbial community on selected PLS and ore samples indicated that lower pH affected the persistence of the thermophilic micro-organisms in the ore bed and their subsequent growth on reaching thermophilic conditions. The microbial population detached from the ore sample after 120 days decreased by a factor of 5–15 and 25–100 fold on decreasing the operating pH from 1.5–1.7 to 1.4 and 1.2 respectively. Poor microbial activity was found at pH 1.0, suggesting ineffective growth or persistence of the archaea. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.uri | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0892687513002331 | |
| dc.identifier | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2013.07.015 | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Tupikina, O. V., Minnaar, S. H., van Hille, R. P., van Wyk, N., Dew, D., , & Rautenbach, G. F. (2013). Determining the effect of acid stress on the persistence and growth of thermophilic microbial species after mesophilic colonisation of low grade ore in a heap leach environment. <i>Minerals Engineering</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21318 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Tupikina, O V, S H Minnaar, R P van Hille, N van Wyk, D Dew, , and G F Rautenbach "Determining the effect of acid stress on the persistence and growth of thermophilic microbial species after mesophilic colonisation of low grade ore in a heap leach environment." <i>Minerals Engineering</i> (2013) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21318 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Tupikina, O. V., Minnaar, S. V., van Hille, R. P., van Wyk, N., Rautenbach, G. F., Dew, D., & Harrison, S. T. L. (2013). Determining the effect of acid stress on the persistence and growth of thermophilic microbial species after mesophilic colonisation of low grade ore in a heap leach environment. Minerals Engineering, 53, 152-159. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.issn | 0892-6875 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Journal Article AU - Tupikina, O V AU - Minnaar, S H AU - van Hille, R P AU - van Wyk, N AU - Dew, D AU - Harrison S T L AU - Rautenbach, G F AB - The microorganisms involved in the bioleaching of sulphidic mineral ores are acidophilic. Generally, a pH in the range of pH 1–2.5 is applied for optimal growth in these systems. In operating heaps, perturbation of conditions could result in changes in the pH outside this “safe” window, so an understanding of the effect of changes in pH on growth and activity of bioleaching microbes is needed. Previous work has shown that some microorganisms e.g. Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Leptospirillum ferriphilum and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans are able to adapt to low pH environments (∼pH 0.9). However, most studies on the response of micro-organisms implicated in mineral bioleaching to pH have been conducted under submerged, aerated culture conditions, with limited performance-based studies conducted under conditions mimicking a heap environment. In this study, the effect of acid stress on the persistence of the thermophilic micro-organisms in the ore bed inoculated at mesophilic conditions and their subsequent growth on reaching thermophilic conditions is considered. Following inoculation, five columns loaded with a low grade chalcopyrite ore were irrigated at a feed pH of 1.7 at 25 °C. After a few days, the temperature was sequentially increased from 25 °C through 37 °C to 50 °C, resulting in an Eh above 850 mV across all columns. The irrigation feed pH was then varied across the range pH 1.0 to 1.7 at 50 °C. Eh values greater than 800 mV could be attained in the columns with feed pH values between pH 1.2 and pH 1.7 at 50 °C. The Eh of the column receiving feed solution at a pH of 1.0 at 50 °C dropped to below 700 mV and did not recover. The temperature was then increased gradually to 60 °C. All the columns with feed pH of 1.2 and higher achieved Eh values above 800 mV. Quantitative analyses of the microbial community on selected PLS and ore samples indicated that lower pH affected the persistence of the thermophilic micro-organisms in the ore bed and their subsequent growth on reaching thermophilic conditions. The microbial population detached from the ore sample after 120 days decreased by a factor of 5–15 and 25–100 fold on decreasing the operating pH from 1.5–1.7 to 1.4 and 1.2 respectively. Poor microbial activity was found at pH 1.0, suggesting ineffective growth or persistence of the archaea. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - Minerals Engineering LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 SM - 0892-6875 T1 - Determining the effect of acid stress on the persistence and growth of thermophilic microbial species after mesophilic colonisation of low grade ore in a heap leach environment TI - Determining the effect of acid stress on the persistence and growth of thermophilic microbial species after mesophilic colonisation of low grade ore in a heap leach environment UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21318 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21318 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Tupikina OV, Minnaar SH, van Hille RP, van Wyk N, Dew D, , et al. Determining the effect of acid stress on the persistence and growth of thermophilic microbial species after mesophilic colonisation of low grade ore in a heap leach environment. Minerals Engineering. 2013; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21318. | en_ZA |
| dc.language | eng | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Elsevier | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Cape Town | |
| dc.source | Minerals Engineering | en_ZA |
| dc.source.uri | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/08926875 | |
| dc.subject.other | Copper bioleaching | |
| dc.subject.other | Heap bioleaching | |
| dc.subject.other | pH | |
| dc.subject.other | Acidophilic | |
| dc.subject.other | Chemolithotrophic micro-organisms | |
| dc.subject.other | Thermophil | |
| dc.title | Determining the effect of acid stress on the persistence and growth of thermophilic microbial species after mesophilic colonisation of low grade ore in a heap leach environment | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Journal Article | en_ZA |
| uct.type.filetype | Text | |
| uct.type.filetype | Image | |
| uct.type.publication | Research | en_ZA |
| uct.type.resource | Article | en_ZA |