Oxygen and carbon dioxide kinetic challenges for thermophilic mineral bioleaching processes.

Agitated bacterial tank bioleaching reactors are currently sparged with air to satisfy both oxygen and CO(2) requirements of microbial cells. Under high-sulphide loading conditions, as is the case with high-grade metal sulphide concentrates, the microbial and chemical demand for oxygen is significantly increased during the bioleaching process. Sparging with enriched oxygen gas may offer an alternative process option to increased agitation and sparged aeration, to overcome the mass transfer difficulties at elevated temperatures where thermophilic Archaea, rather than Bacteria, are used. In the case of air sparging, the DO (dissolved oxygen) concentration in tank reactors could not be increased to a point where it would become inhibitory due to the limited oxygen content of air (20.9% O(2)). The use of enriched oxygen in such reactors at large scale does, however, pose its own set of process risks. The first aim of this investigation was, therefore, to determine the effects of various DO concentrations, in both the limiting and inhibitory ranges, on the microbial activity of Sulfolobus sp. U40813, a typical thermophilic mineral-leaching archaeon. Secondly, the effect of CO(2) concentration on the rate of ferrous iron oxidation was investigated. Both the oxygen and CO(2) kinetics were examined in controlled batch cultures at 78 degrees C, using ferrous sulphate and potassium tetrathionate as energy sources. The optimal DO concentration for iron oxidation was found to be between 1.5 and 4.1 mg.l(-1). The use of elevated DO concentrations (above 4.1 mg.l(-1)) inhibited the ferrous oxidation rates. The optimal gas CO(2) concentration for ferrous iron oxidation was found to be in the range 7-17% (v/v). The iron oxidation rates were, however, severely limited at CO(2) concentrations less than 7%, indicating that the CO(2) supply was limiting in this range and inhibited the microbial growth rate.

Mesophilic and thermophilic BTEX substrate interactions for a toluene-acclimatized biofilter.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) substrate interactions for a mesophilic (25 degrees C) and thermophilic (50 degrees C) toluene-acclimatized composted pine bark biofilter were investigated. Toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene removal efficiencies, both individually and in paired mixtures with toluene (1:1 ratio), were determined at a total loading rate of 18.1 g m(-3) h(-1) and retention time ranges of 0.5-3.0 min and 0.6-3.8 min for mesophilic and thermophilic biofilters, respectively. Overall, toluene degradation rates under mesophilic conditions were superior to degradation rates of individual BEX compounds. With the exception of p-xylene, higher removal efficiencies were achieved for individual BEX compounds compared to toluene under thermophilic conditions. Overall BEX compound degradation under mesophilic conditions was ranked as ethylbenzene >benzene > o-xylene > m-xylene > p-xylene. Under thermophilic conditions overall BEX compound degradation was ranked as benzene > o-xylene >ethylbenzene > m-xylene > p-xylene. With the exception of o-xylene, the presence of toluene in paired mixtures with BEX compounds resulted in enhanced removal efficiencies of BEX compounds, under both mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. A substrate interaction index was calculated to compare removal efficiencies at a retention time of 0.8 min (50 s). A reduction in toluene removal efficiencies (negative interaction) in the presence of individual BEX compounds was observed under mesophilic conditions, while enhanced toluene removal efficiency was achieved in the presence of other BEX compounds, with the exception of p-xylene under thermophilic conditions.

Development of respirometry methods to assess the microbial activity of thermophilic bioleaching archaea.

Respirometry methods have been used for many years to assess the microbial activity of mainly heterotrophic bacteria. Using this technique, the consumption of oxygen and evolution of carbon dioxide for heterotrophic carbon catabolism can be used to assess microbial activity. In the case of autotrophic bioleaching bacteria, carbon dioxide is used as a carbon source resulting in the consumption of both oxygen and carbon dioxide. The use of such respirometry techniques at high temperatures (up to 80 degrees C) for the investigation of bioleaching Archaea, however, poses particular difficulties. At these elevated temperatures, the solubility of oxygen into the liquid phase is particularly poor. This work details specific methods by which high temperature constraints are overcome while monitoring the activity of thermophilic Archaea using a Micro-Oxymax respirometer (Columbus Instruments). The use of elevated headspace oxygen concentrations, in order to overcome low oxygen solubility, is demonstrated as well as the effect of such elevated oxygen concentrations on microbial oxygen consumption rates. The relative rates of oxygen and carbon dioxide consumption are also illustrated during the oxidation of a chalcopyrite concentrate. In addition, this paper details generic methods by which respirometry data can be used to quantify inhibitory effects of a compound such as Na(2)SO(4). The further use of such data in predicting minimum hydraulic reactor retention times for continuous culture bioleaching reactors, as a function of concentration of potentially inhibitory compounds, is also demonstrated.

BTEX catabolism interactions in a toluene-acclimatized biofilter.

BTEX substrate interactions for a toluene-acclimatized biofilter consortium were investigated. Benzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene removal efficiencies were determined at a loading rate of 18.07 g m(-3) h(-1) and retention times of 0.5-3.0 min. This was also repeated for toluene in a 1:1 (m/m) ratio mixture (toluene: benzene, ethylbenzene, or xylene ) with each of the other compounds individually to obtain a final total loading of 18.07 g m(-3) h(-1). The results obtained were modelled using Michaelis-Menten kinetics and an explicit finite difference scheme to generate vmax and Km parameters. The Vmax/Km ratio (a measure of the catalytic efficiency, or biodegradation capacity, of the reactor) was used to quantify substrate interactions occurring within the biofilter reactor without the need for free-cell suspended and monoculture experimentation. Toluene was found to enhance the catalytic efficiency of the reactor for p-xylene, while catabolism of all the other compounds was inhibited competitively by the presence of toluene. The toluene-acclimatized biofilter was also able to degrade all of the other BTEX compounds, even in the absence of toluene. The catalytic efficiency of the reactor for compounds other than toluene was in the order: ethylbenzene > benzene > o-xylene > m-xylene>p-xylene. The catalytic efficiency for toluene was reduced by the presence of all other tested BTEX compounds, with the greatest inhibitory effect being caused by the presence of benzene, while o-xylene and p-xylene caused the least inhibitory effect. This work illustrated that substrate interactions can be determined directly from biofilter reactor results without the need for free-cell and monoculture experimentation.

Empirical model for the autotrophic biodegradation of thiocyanate in an activated sludge reactor.

AIMS: The aim of this investigation was to develop an empirical model for the autotrophic biodegradation of thiocyanate using an activated sludge reactor. METHODS AND RESULTS: The methods used for this purpose included the use of a laboratory scale activated sludge reactor unit using thiocyante feed concentrations from 200 to 550 mg x l(-1). Reactor effluent concentrations of <1 mg x l(-1) thiocyanate were consistently achieved for the entire duration of the investigation at a hydraulic retention time of 8 h, solids (biomass) retention of 18 h and biomass (dry weight) concentrations ranging from 2 to 4 g x l(-1). A biomass specific degradation rate factor was used to relate thiocyanate degradation in the reactor to the prevailing biomass and thiocyanate feed concentrations. A maximum biomass specific degradation rate of 16 mg(-1) x g(-1) x h(-1) (mg thiocyanate consumed per gram biomass per hour) was achieved at a thiocyanate feed concentration of 550 mg x l(-1). The overall yield coefficient was found to be 0.086 (biomass dry weight produced per mass of thiocyanate consumed). CONCLUSION: Using the results generated by this investigation, an empirical model was developed, based on thiocyanate feed concentration and reactor biomass concentration, to calculate the required absolute hydraulic retention time at which a single-stage continuously stirred tank activated sludge reactor could be operated in order to achieve an effluent concentration of <1 mg x l(-1). The use of an empirical model rather than a mechanistic-based kinetic model was proposed due to the low prevailing thiocyanate concentrations in the reactor. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These results represent the first empirical model, based on a comprehensive data set, that could be used for the design of thiocyanate-degrading activated sludge systems.

Denitrification and nitric oxide reduction in an aerobic toluene-treating biofilter.

The presence of significant denitrification activity in an aerobic toluene-treating biofilter was demonstrated under batch and flow-through conditions. N2O concentrations of 9.2 ppmv were produced by denitrifying bacteria in the presence of 15% acetylene, in a flow-through system with a bulk gas phase O2 concentration of >17%. The carbon source for denitrification was not toluene but a byproduct or metabolite of toluene catabolism. Denitrification conditions were successfully used for the reduction of 60 ppmv nitric oxide to 15 ppmv at a flow rate of 3 L min-1 (EBRT of 3 min) in a fully aerated, 17% v/v O2 (superficially aerobic) biofilter. Higher NO removal efficiency (97%) was obtained by increasing the toluene supply to the biofilter.

Resistance of Libyostrongylus douglassi in ostriches to levamisole.

While fenbendazole at 15 mg kg-1 either alone or in combination with resorantel reduced the total burden of Libyostrongylus douglassi by more than 98%, levamisole alone at 30 mg kg-1 was only 28% effective, and in combination with resorantel its efficacy was 67%. These results with levamisole do not correspond with the registered rate of efficacy which is given as at least 80% in South Africa. This is apparently the first reported case of anthelmintic resistance in ostriches.

The anthelmintic efficacy of resorantel against cestodes in sheep.

The anthelmintic efficacy of resorantel against Thysaniezia giardi and Avitellina spp. was tested in sheep at a dosage rate of 65 mg kg-1 live mass. The reduction obtained was 100% in at least 80% of the treated flock.