TY - JOUR
T1 - Gold Dissolution from ore with iodide-oxidising bacteria
AU - Khaing, San Yee
AU - Sugai, Yuichi
AU - Sasaki, Kyuro
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was financially supported by a grant entitled ‘Engineering Research for Pioneering of a New Field’ provided by the Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, Japan. We thank N. Naung and W. Phyo for assistance in collecting the ore sample. We also thank Sara J. Mason for editing a draft of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s).
PY - 2019/3/12
Y1 - 2019/3/12
N2 - Gold leaching from ore using iodide-iodine mixtures is an alternative to gold cyanidation. This study evaluated the ability of iodide-oxidising bacteria to solubilise gold from ore that was mainly composed of gold, pyrite, galena, and chalcopyrite. Eight bacterial strains were successfully isolated from brine. Those strains were incubated in a liquid culture medium containing ore with a gold content of 0.26 wt.% and pulp density of 3.3 w/v% to evaluate their abilities to mediate the dissolution of gold. The gold was solubilised completely within 30 days of incubation in the iodine-iodide lixiviant solution generated by three bacterial strains. One strain, in particular, completed the dissolution of gold within 5 days of incubation and was identified as a member of the genus Roseovarius. Thus, the possibility of bacterial gold leaching using iodide-oxidising bacteria was successfully demonstrated. Bioleaching gold with iodide would likely be more environmentally sustainable than traditional cyanide leaching. Further research is required to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of this approach.
AB - Gold leaching from ore using iodide-iodine mixtures is an alternative to gold cyanidation. This study evaluated the ability of iodide-oxidising bacteria to solubilise gold from ore that was mainly composed of gold, pyrite, galena, and chalcopyrite. Eight bacterial strains were successfully isolated from brine. Those strains were incubated in a liquid culture medium containing ore with a gold content of 0.26 wt.% and pulp density of 3.3 w/v% to evaluate their abilities to mediate the dissolution of gold. The gold was solubilised completely within 30 days of incubation in the iodine-iodide lixiviant solution generated by three bacterial strains. One strain, in particular, completed the dissolution of gold within 5 days of incubation and was identified as a member of the genus Roseovarius. Thus, the possibility of bacterial gold leaching using iodide-oxidising bacteria was successfully demonstrated. Bioleaching gold with iodide would likely be more environmentally sustainable than traditional cyanide leaching. Further research is required to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of this approach.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41598-019-41004-8
DO - 10.1038/s41598-019-41004-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 30862917
AN - SCOPUS:85062864826
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 9
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 4178
ER -