Nutrient effect on the biological leaching of a black-schist ore

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of inorganic N (NH(4), NO(3)) and phosphate on the biological oxidation of a sulfidic black-schist ore which contained pyrrhotite as the main iron sulfide. Iron was initially solubilized as Fe from the ore and subsequently oxidized to Fe in shake flask experiments. Under these experimental conditions, iron dissolution from pyrrhotite was mainly a chemical reaction, with some enhancement by bacteria, whereas the subsequent Fe oxidation was bacterially mediated, with negligible contribution from chemical oxidation. Phosphate amendment did not enhance Fe oxidation. Chemical analysis of leach solutions with no exogenous phosphate revealed that phosphate was solubilized from the black-schist ore. Ammonium amendment (6 mM) enhanced Fe oxidation, whereas the addition of nitrate (6 and 12 mM) had a negative effect. An increase in the temperature from 30 to 35 degrees C slightly enhanced Fe oxidation, but the effect was statistically not significant. The precipitation of potassium jarosite was indicative of Fe oxidation and was absent in nitrate-inhibited cultures because of the lack of Fe oxidation. The black-schist ore also contained phlogopite, which was altered to vermiculite in iron-oxidizing cultures.