Biogeochemical study of copper production

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the possible presence of Ferrooxidant bacteria in particular Thiobacillus and Leptospirillum and to evaluate their contribution in the leaching of copper ores. Methodology and Results: We selected two types of samples from the leaching solution: pulp filtrate and pulp. Each sample was plated on thioglycholate resazurin medium and subcultured on blood agar under anaerobic conditions. Neither of the two bacteria of interest grew in the pulp filtrate while Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was isolated from the pulp solid. The influence of temperature and pH of 1.5 in the core of the slag heap varied as a result of microbial heat activity as well as the energy sources for microbial growth which were favorable to the development of Thiobacillus and unfavorable to the development of Leptospirillum which grows only on Fe2+ and at a very acidic pH less than 1 in the leaching of copper ores.