Iron Oxidized Acidophiles Distribution and Activities in an Uranium In Situ Bioleaching Site

Iron oxidized acidophlies are important in uranium extraction for it mainly depends on the indirect mechanism of bioleaching. Taking indirect field In-Situ bioleaching experiment in a uranium deposit as an example, several strains of acidophiles were isolated from the acid leachate. Bacteria compositions of the samples taken different stages were analyzed by 16SrDNA PCR-RFLP method. Results showed that the dominant bacteria in the leachate were Acidithiobacillus. ferrivorans, At. ferrooxidans and Leptospirrilum. ferrooxidans from the beginning to the middle stage of bioleaching process. With the process carried on, ferric ion concentration increased in the oxidation tanks, L. ferrooxidans became predominant bacteria. Again confirmed that in this in-situ bioleaching site, iron oxidized bacteria were in dominant.