The importance of @entity48260 for leach processes has been evaluated by studying the lithotrophic flora of three mine biotopes and a heap leaching operation, by percolation experiments with inoculated, sterilized ore, and by morphological, physiological, and genetic investigations of pure and mixed cultures of @entity48260 , @entity404 , and Thiobacillus thiooxidans. In biotopes of 20 degrees C or above, @entity48260 -like bacteria are as abundant as @entity404 . Leptospirilli represent at least one-half of the ferrous- @entity68 -oxidizing population. Percolation experiments confirmed this result. Leptospirilli were as numerous as @entity404 . At reduced temperatures, the generation times of leptospirilli increase more so than those of @entity404 . At 14 degrees C, @entity48260 grows slowly and @entity404 dominates the population. Physiological investigations indicate that @entity48260 is a strict chemolithoautotroph, metabolizing only ferrous @entity68 and @entity42524 . Even an addition of 0.05% (wt/vol) @entity375 extract inhibited its growth. The maximum ferrous- @entity68 -oxidizing activity of @entity48260 amounts to about 40% of the activity of @entity404 . After growth on sulfidic ore, both species exhibit reduced @entity68 -oxidizing activities, @entity48260 exhibiting one-third and @entity404 exhibiting one-seventh of their maximum activities. Surprisingly, the absolute values are similar. For indirect leaching, @entity48260 is as important as @entity404 . This was confirmed by the results of percolation experiments. @entity48260 together with T. thiooxidans mobilized metals at least as well as @entity404 did. The best results were obtained with a mixed culture of all three species.

Evaluation of XXXX for Leaching.

@entity48260 :: ('180', 'Species') :: ['L. ferrooxidans', 'Leptospirillum ferrooxidans', 'Leptospirillum'] @entity404 :: ('920', 'Species') :: ['T. ferrooxidans', 'Thiobacillus ferrooxidans'] @entity375 :: ('4932', 'Species') :: ['yeast'] @entity42524 :: ('MESH:C011342', 'Chemical') :: ['pyrite'] @entity68 :: ('MESH:D007501', 'Chemical') :: ['iron']
@entity48260 :: (180,Species) :: ['Leptospirillum ferrooxidans']
