Abstract
Mining of metals and fuel is inevitable, as we need both these minerals for development. Mining process exposes a large surface area of minerals to air and water, which enhances chemical oxidation of ferrous and reduced sulphur compounds that results in generation of protons. Thiobacillus and Thiomonas initiate their activity at neutral pH, leading further acidification of environment and pH reduction to 5.0. At this stage, acidophilic sulphur and iron-oxidizing organisms accelerate the process, and pH falls below 3.0 and many a time, it reaches even lower than 1.0. Acidophilic iron and reduced sulphur-oxidizing organisms are versatile and found in all the three microbial domains. They use inorganic or organic substrates as electron donor; some of them use both iron and sulphur as a source of energy. In terms of optimum temperature for growth, they are mesophilic, thermophilic, extremely thermophilic and psychrotolerant. Biooxidation of iron and reduction of sulphur compounds form acid mine drainage and pollute several thousands of miles of water streams globally. The formed acid mine drainage dissolves several metals and other materials resulting in the formation of metal-loaded acidic turbid polluted waters. If the organisms responsible for acid mine drainage are used scientifically, they are helpful for metal extractions from mining waste, ores, concentrates, e-waste and municipal solid waste. The activity of iron-oxidizing organisms is also used for bioremediation of iron from acidic water and production of yellow/brown pigments. Till now diversity of a few microbes is known; therefore, further work is needed to explore them for biotechnological applications.
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Dave, S.R., Tipre, D.R. (2019). Diversity of Iron and Sulphur Oxidizers in Sulphide Mine Leachates. In: Satyanarayana, T., Johri, B., Das, S. (eds) Microbial Diversity in Ecosystem Sustainability and Biotechnological Applications. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8315-1_10
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