Abstract
In the course of the decline of high-grade ore deposits, new effective and eco-friendly bioleaching techniques are of interest. In-situ leaching is an auspicious method, but composition of leaching community should be adapted to the respective external conditions and the ore material. In this study several sulfidic minerals were inoculated into acidic mine water of a mine in eastern Germany, housing members of well-known iron oxidizing bacteria like Acidithiobacillus, Leptospirillum and Ferrovum. The attachment tests were performed in batch and in a continuous way at different temperatures. The analysis of the extracted DNA from adhered cells showed an enrichment of Ferrovum spp. on chalcopyrite surface under in-situ conditions at 11°C. For laboratory batch conditions an accumulation of Leptospirillum spp. was detected for adhered cells probably due to the changes of the physicochemical parameter of the mine water. In more detailed analyses we aim to elucidate possible preferential attachment of the mine water community members to certain minerals.
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