Chen and 3 co-authors reported in 2013 that the current study investigates the characteristics of arsenic precipitation during the bioleaching of realgar. The bioleaching performance of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans BY-3 (A.ferrooxidans) was investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometry.
SEM and XRD analyses revealed that the arsenic-adapted strain of A. ferrooxidans was more hydrophobic and showed higher attachment efficiency to realgar compared with the wild strain. The arsenic precipitation using A. ferrooxidans resulted in the precipitation of an arsenic-rich compound on the surface of the bacterial cell, as shown in the TEM images. The FT-IR spectra suggested that the −OH and −NH groups were closely involved in the biosorption process.The observations above strongly suggest that the cell surface of A. ferrooxidans plays a role in the induction of arsenic to tolerance during the bioleaching of realgar.
The authors concluded that SEM, TEM, XRD, and FT-IR analysis were used to reveal the characteristics of arsenic precipitation. All the results confirmed that precipitation of arsenic with A. ferrooxidans and iron compound can decrease arsenic concentration in solution.Thus, arsenic concentrations in leaching solution of realgar are thought to be reduced through the precipitation of arsenic.This study demonstrates that the combined action of biologic and chemical absorbents may play important roles in arsenic precipitation during the process of leaching realgar by A.ferrooxidans.
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