Abstract:
Biooxidation of iron is considered to be one of the major steps in various industrial processes like the bioleaching of low-grade sulfide ores and desulfurisation of coal. The eco-friendly phenomenon is also widely exploited for the treatment of acid mine drainage and removal of hydrogen sulfide from gaseous effluents. In the present work, iron oxidation in batch as well as continuous mode has been studied using immobilized Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Enhanced oxidation rate is achieved in a continuous mode in the column reactor and the immobilized cells are found to be very effective for the oxidation studies.