Bioleaching of chalcocite by mixed microorganisms subjected to mutation

Abstract

Mixed microorganisms with elevated activity of chalcocite-leaching were screened by mutation methods. The original microorganisms collected from acid mine drainage of different sites were mixed and then treated with mutagens NO2−, diethyl sulfate (DES), UV and their combinations, respectively. Five groups of mixed microorganisms with much stronger ore-leaching ability were obtained by screening on the leaching media. Among them, group E of mixed microorganisms (treated with 1% DES for 60 min) with the best performance on chalcocite-leaching, increases the content of Cu2+ by 101.4% in 20 d of leaching compared with the control culture. In addition, group E is more tolerant to Cu2+ in media than the control without mutation treatment. Analysis for the diversity of microbial clones indicates that half of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in group E are Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. These observations suggest that group E might have potentials for industrial application.