Application of acid mine drainage for the biooxidation of a high-grade refractory sulfide gold ore

IF 2.8 4区环境科学与生态学 Q3 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Environmental Earth Sciences Pub Date : 2025-01-13 DOI:10.1007/s12665-024-12074-3

Elaheh Nouhi, Ali Ahmadi

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Abstract

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the challenging environmental issues in sulfidic mines. These hazardous solutions generally contain a mixture of indigenous iron- and sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms that could be used as a source for biotechnological purposes. In this study, the ability of an AMD from a sulfide-bearing gold mine to biooxidize its high-grade pyritic gold ore was investigated and its efficiency was compared with iron- and sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms from a microbial culture bank. Experiments were conducted at 35 and 45 ̊C, initial pH values of 1.5 and 2 in a Norris culture medium prepared from deionized and saline local waters. The effects of some critical parameters including the initial pH and the concentrations of ferrous or ferric sulfate were investigated on the efficiency of the biooxidation process and gold extraction. The results showed that the AMD microorganisms had a greater ability to oxidize the sulfide ore than the microorganisms from the microbial bank. The addition of ferrous and ferric sulfates increased the efficiency of biooxidation, while high concentrations of these ions caused the formation of inhibitory precipitates (jarosite) and decreased gold extraction. The results showed that biooxidation using the AMD medium in the saline local water increased the extraction of gold from 73 to 99%. It can be concluded that the application of AMD for the treatment of refractory gold sulfide ores could be an efficient solution for increasing gold extraction and reducing environmental problems.

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酸性矿井排水在某高品位难处理硫化金矿生物氧化中的应用

酸性矿井排水是硫化物矿山的环境难题之一。这些有害的溶液通常含有本地氧化铁和硫微生物的混合物，可作为生物技术目的的来源。本文研究了某含硫化物金矿的AMD生物氧化高品位黄铁矿的能力，并与微生物培养库中的铁氧化和硫氧化微生物进行了比较。实验在35℃和45℃，初始pH值分别为1.5和2的诺里斯培养液中进行。考察了初始pH、硫酸亚铁或硫酸铁浓度等关键参数对生物氧化工艺和提金效果的影响。结果表明，与微生物库中的微生物相比，AMD微生物对硫化矿的氧化能力更强。亚铁和硫酸铁的加入提高了生物氧化的效率，而高浓度的这些离子会导致抑制性沉淀（黄钾铁矾）的形成，并降低金的提取。结果表明，在含盐的局部水中，采用AMD培养基进行生物氧化处理，金的提取率由73%提高到99%。研究结果表明，采用AMD处理难处理硫化金矿石是提高金提取率和减少环境问题的有效途径。

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来源期刊

Environmental Earth Sciences 环境科学-地球科学综合

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

3.60%

发文量

494

审稿时长

8.3 months

期刊介绍： Environmental Earth Sciences is an international multidisciplinary journal concerned with all aspects of interaction between humans, natural resources, ecosystems, special climates or unique geographic zones, and the earth: Water and soil contamination caused by waste management and disposal practices Environmental problems associated with transportation by land, air, or water Geological processes that may impact biosystems or humans Man-made or naturally occurring geological or hydrological hazards Environmental problems associated with the recovery of materials from the earth Environmental problems caused by extraction of minerals, coal, and ores, as well as oil and gas, water and alternative energy sources Environmental impacts of exploration and recultivation – Environmental impacts of hazardous materials Management of environmental data and information in data banks and information systems Dissemination of knowledge on techniques, methods, approaches and experiences to improve and remediate the environment In pursuit of these topics, the geoscientific disciplines are invited to contribute their knowledge and experience. Major disciplines include: hydrogeology, hydrochemistry, geochemistry, geophysics, engineering geology, remediation science, natural resources management, environmental climatology and biota, environmental geography, soil science and geomicrobiology.