Title: Using halotolerant Aspergillus foetidus in bioleaching nickel laterite ore

Authors: Marjorie Valix, Vijaya Thangavelu, Dan Ryan, Jessica Tang

Addresses: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. ' School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. ' School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. ' School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

Abstract: Bioleaching of Ni laterite ores involves the utilisation of fungi organisms and their metabolic products in solubilisation of the metals fractions from ores. High salinity of water supplies and soils in the vicinity of nickel laterite ore bodies is a major abiotic stress to fungi and represents a major challenge in the application of bioleaching process in-situ. To address this issue, Aspergillus foetidus was acclimatised gradually to saline environment to develop its salinity tolerance. The effects of this training on the growth and metabolism of the fungi and leaching behaviour were examined in this study.

Keywords: nickel laterite ores; bioleaching; heterotrophic microorganisms; green technologies; saline environments; water salinity; fungi organisms; leaching behaviour.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2009.026342

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2009 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.253 - 264

Published online: 07 Jun 2009 *

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