Sulfide mineral dissolution microbes: Community structure and function in industrial bioleaching heaps

Heap bioleaching is one of the most clean and economical processes for recovery of low-grade and complex ores, because the sulfide minerals are natural habitats for acidophiles capable of iron-and sulfur-oxidation. The most exciting advances in heap bioleaching are occurring in the field of microbiology, especially with the development of advanced molecular biology approaches. These chemolithotrophic microorganisms living in the acid mine environment fix N_2 and CO_2 and obtain energy for growth from soluble ferrous iron and reduced inorganic sulfur compounds during oxidation of sulfide minerals. The ferric iron as oxidant and sulfuric acid are a result of microbial activity and provide favorable conditions for the dissolution of sulfide minerals. Various microbial consortia were applied successfully in commercial bioleaching heaps around the world, and microbial community and activity were adapted related to the local climatic conditions, ore characteristics and engineering configuration. This review focuses on diversity of bioleaching microbes, their role in heap bioleaching processes, their community structure and function in industrial heaps and the relation to the ore characteristics and the engineering configuration, to give implications for optimizing leaching efficiency of heap bioleaching.

Quantitative analysis of planation surfaces of the upper Yangtze River in the Sichuan-Yunnan Region, Southwest China

Identification of the planation surfaces (PSs)is key for utilizing them as a reference in studying the long- term geomorphological evolution of the Upper Yangtze River Basin in the Sichuan-Yurman region,Southwest China.Using a combined method of DEM-based fuzzy logic and topographic and fiver profiles analysis and based on a comprehensive analysis of four morphometfic parameters:slope,curvature,terrain raggedness index, and relative height,we established the relevant fuzzy membership functions,and then calculated the membership degree (MD)of the study area.Results show that patches with a MD>80% and an area>0.4 km^2 correspond well to the results of Google Earth and field investigation,representing the PS remnants.They consist of 1764 patches with an altitude,area,mean slope,and relief of mostly 2000-2500 m above sea level (asl),0-10 km^2,4°-9°,0-500 m,respectively,covering 9.2% of the study area's landscape,dipping to southeast,decreasing progressively from northwest to southeast in altitude,and with no clear relation between each patch's altitude and slope,or relief.All these results indicate that they are remnants of once regionally continuous PSs which were deformed by both the lower crust flow and the faults in upper crust,and dissected by the network of Upper Yangtze River.Additionally,topographic and river profiles analysis show that three PSs (PS1-PS3)well developed along the main valleys in the Yongren-Huili region, indicating several phases of uplift then planation during the Late Cenozoic era.Based on the incision amount deduced from projection of relict river profiles on PSs, together with erosion rates,breakup times of the PS 1,PS2,and PS3 were estimated to be 3.47 Ma,2.19 Ma,and 1.45 Ma,respectively,indicating appearance of modem Upper Yangtze River valley started between the Pliocene to early Pleistocene.