Bioleaching of Zn, Ni and Fe from contaminated sediments of water reservoir Ružín I with using heterotrophic bacterial strains

Abstract

This study investigates the bioleaching of the zinc polluted sediment from water reservoir Ružín I using heterotrophic bacterialstrains ubiquitous in sediment environment. The effect of bacterial activity, pH, iron solubilization and precipitation and bioleachingmedium were evaluated. The pH value controls the bacterial activity during the leaching process. Addition of glucose to the bioleachingmedium accelerated the bioleaching rate. The results indicates, that the leachibility of zinc depend on the geochemical formsand surface interaction between metal and sediment fraction. Sequential chemical extraction confirm, that Zn was predominantly boundto the iron-manganese oxides.

Keywords

• Zinc
• iron
• bioleaching
• Bacillus sp
• heterotrophic bacteria
• sediment