Development of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 19859 strains tolerant to copper and zinc

Abstract

A study was carried out to develop strains of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 19859 tolerant to higher levels of heavy metal ions. Strains of T. ferrooxidans capable of growing in Cu²⁺ (30 g/L) and Zn²⁺ (60 g/L) have been obtained. The ability of strains tolerant to either copper or zinc to grow in medium containing both the metals has been examined. The copper-tolerant strain (25 g/L) grows better in the medium containing both metals (Cu²⁺ 25 g/L and Zn²⁺ 40 g/L) compared to the zinc-tolerant strain (40 g/L).