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Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability
Published on: June 21, 2015
Effect of microorganisms on in situ uranium mining
M V Yates1, J A Brierley, C L Brierley
1Department of Biology and New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801 and Twin Cities Research Center, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55111.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|October 1, 1983
Summary
Microbial growth in in situ leaching operations can cause flow path plugging, reducing uranium production. Hydrogen peroxide treatment effectively eliminated these microorganisms, alleviating the plugging issue.
Area of Science:
- Mining Engineering
- Environmental Microbiology
- Geochemistry
Background:
- In situ leaching (ISL) is an industrial method for recovering metals like uranium from ore bodies.
- Microbial population growth during ISL is a suspected cause of flow path plugging, leading to reduced uranium recovery.
- Understanding microbial roles is crucial for optimizing ISL efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of microbial populations in flow path plugging during uranium in situ leaching.
- To assess the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide in mitigating microbial plugging.
Main Methods:
- Samples of leach solution and solids were collected from an operational ISL site experiencing plugging.
- Bacterial species (Bacillus, Micrococcus, pseudomonads, xanthomonads) were isolated and identified.
- A mixed microbial culture was used to inoculate uranium core specimens in laboratory experiments.
- Permeability changes and the effect of hydrogen peroxide treatment were monitored.
Main Results:
- Microbial populations were isolated from ISL operational samples.
- Laboratory inoculation with these microbes caused a one-third decrease in core specimen permeability within 16 days.
- Treatment with hydrogen peroxide (0.2 g/L) eliminated the microorganisms and restored permeability, alleviating plugging.
Conclusions:
- Microbial activity significantly contributes to flow path plugging in uranium in situ leaching.
- Hydrogen peroxide is an effective agent for controlling microbial growth and mitigating plugging in ISL operations.
- Periodic hydrogen peroxide injection may be a viable strategy to prevent microbial plugging in production wells.
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