TY - JOUR
T1 - Toxicity of flotation reagents to moderately thermophilic bioleaching microorganisms
AU - Okibe, Naoko
AU - Johnson, D. Barrie
N1 - Funding Information:
Naoko Okibe is grateful for financial assistance provided by The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy (UK), the Gen Foundation and Glaxo Ltd.
PY - 2002/12
Y1 - 2002/12
N2 - The toxicity of 15 flotation reagents (including xanthates, carbamates, thiophosphates, a mercaptobenzthiazole and a frothing reagent) used for concentrating sulfide minerals to five species of mineral-oxidising, moderately thermophilic and acidophilic microorganisms was assessed. The acidophiles tested included four bacteria (a Leptospirillum isolate, Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus caldus and a Sulfobacillus isolate) and one archaeon (a Ferroplasma isolate). There was wide variation both in terms of the relative toxicities of the different flotation reagents and the sensitivities of the microorganisms tested. In general, the dithiophosphates and the mercaptobenzothiol were the most toxic, while the Leptospirillum and Ferroplasma isolates were the most sensitive of the acidophilic microorganisms. The significance of these findings, in view of the expanding application of ore concentrates bioprocessing, is discussed.
AB - The toxicity of 15 flotation reagents (including xanthates, carbamates, thiophosphates, a mercaptobenzthiazole and a frothing reagent) used for concentrating sulfide minerals to five species of mineral-oxidising, moderately thermophilic and acidophilic microorganisms was assessed. The acidophiles tested included four bacteria (a Leptospirillum isolate, Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus caldus and a Sulfobacillus isolate) and one archaeon (a Ferroplasma isolate). There was wide variation both in terms of the relative toxicities of the different flotation reagents and the sensitivities of the microorganisms tested. In general, the dithiophosphates and the mercaptobenzothiol were the most toxic, while the Leptospirillum and Ferroplasma isolates were the most sensitive of the acidophilic microorganisms. The significance of these findings, in view of the expanding application of ore concentrates bioprocessing, is discussed.
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U2 - 10.1023/A:1021118915720
DO - 10.1023/A:1021118915720
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036905482
VL - 24
SP - 2011
EP - 2016
JO - Biotechnology Letters
JF - Biotechnology Letters
SN - 0141-5492
IS - 23
ER -