Bacterially Induced Mineralization of Jarosite and Schwertmannite Assisted by a Photochemical Pathway

Abstract

This study investigated Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans induced mineral precipitation under the photocatalysis and non-photocatalysis of natural sphalerite. The bacterial activity and the Fe²⁺ concentrations were found to be remarkably influenced by the photocatalysis of natural sphalerite. As a result, K-jarosite was only detected in the photocatalytic treatment, which was estimated to be the result of higher bacteria activity under sphalerite photocatalysis; yet, NH₄-jarosite formed in both treatments. Besides, the minerals in photocatalytic treatment had better crystallinity than those in non-photocatalytic treatment.

Keywords:

• Jarosite
• Schwertmannite
• Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
• photocatalysis

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No. 2007 CB815602) and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40902016). The authors are grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their highly constructive suggestions.