Bioleaching of Pb-Zn ore by Moderate Thermophilic Chemolithotrophic Bacteria

Pb-zn ore bioleaching performances of pure un-adapted and metal ion-adapted cultures of sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans as well as its consortium with acidophilic hetertrotroph (6a1tsb) were analyzed. nearly 58% of zn was solubilized form the ore with mixed consortium at the rate of 3.0 mg l-1h-1, whereas with pure adapted and un-adapted it was 55% and 40% respectively, in 360 h with bioleaching rates of 2.5 mg l-1h-1 and 1.8 mg l-1h-1. similarly maximum lead dissolution (57%) was obtained with mixed consortium, while pure adapted and un-adapted cultures leached out 52 % and 26% pb, respectively. the leaching rates of lead with mixed consortium, pure adapted and un-adapted cultures were 1.25 mgl-1h-1, 1.0 mg l-1h-1and 0.439 mgl-1h-1 respectively. cell dry biomass production rates during bioleaching also followed the same pattern, with the mixed consortium having the highest biomass production rate i.e. 0.0030 gl-1h-1 and same pattern was observed in case of rate of iron solublization.