Influence of process variables on biooxidation of ferrous sulfate by an indigenous Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Part I: Flask experiments

Biological oxidation of ferrous sulfate by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans has proved to be a significant step in the bioleaching of sulfide minerals and the treatment of acid mine drainage. The same bioreaction also has beneficial applications in the desulphurization of coal and removal of hydrogen sulfide from gaseous effluents. In this research, the effects of some process variables such as pH, temperature, elemental sulfur, amount of initial ferrous and magnesium ions on oxidation of ferrous sulfate by a native A. ferrooxidans, which was isolated from a chalcopyrite concentrate, were investigated. All experiments carried out in shake flasks at 33 °C that was obtained as optimum temperature for the specific bacterial growth rate. The optimum range of pH for the maximum growth of the cells and effective biooxidation of ferrous sulfate varied from 2 to 2.3. The maximum biooxidation rate was achieved 1.2 g/L h in a culture initially containing 20.2 g/L Fe2+. Mg2+ from 20 mg/L to 120 mg/L did not have any effect on the efficiency of the process, while the presence of elemental sulfur had negative effect on the biooxidation.