Isolation, identification and arsenic-resistance of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans HX3 producing schwertmannite
Yiqun Xu , Ming Yang , Ting Yao , Huixin Xiong
DOI:10.1016/j.jes.2014.05.012
Received August 24, 2013,Revised December 31, 2013, Accepted , Available online July 09, 2014
Volume 26,2014,Pages 1463-1470
Schwertmannite, a ubiquitous mineral present in iron oxyhydroxides formed in iron- and sulfate-rich acid media, favors incorporation of some toxic anions in its structure. We reported an iron-oxidizing bacterial strain HX3 from a municipal sludge that facilitates the formation of pure schwertmannite in cultures. Ferrous iron oxidation by the isolated strain HX3 was optimum at an initial pH of 2.0-3.3 and temperature of 28-35℃. Pure schwertmannite was found through bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron at an initial pH 2.8 and temperature 28℃. Following 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis the bacterial strain HX3 was identified as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The arsenic-resistance A. ferrooxidans HX3 showed the potential of environmental application in arsenic removal from the As(III)- and iron-rich acid sulfate waters directly by As(III) adsorption or the formation of schwertmannite in the environment.
