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Extraction by Bacteria Leaching Copper and Gold can be extracted from their ores by using bacteria leaching. A long time ago, engineers investigating the possibility of reopening the Roman workings noticed a blue-green liquid running from the mountains of excavated rock. When the fluid ran across old iron implements, it left a brown film. When scraped off, the film was pure copper. In 1947, US microbiologists discovered that the transformation was in fact the work of microorganisms. Bio leaching process is studied to leach copper and zinc from low-grade ores; and zinc silicate waste, respectively by Thiobacillus. Bacteria such as Thiobacillus ferro-oxidans and Thiobacillus thio-oxidans obtain the energy they need to live by oxidising Fe2+ ions and S2- ions respectively. The S2- ions are present in insoluble minerals of copper, zinc and lead. The oxidation of the S2- ions by bacteria releases these valuable metal ions into solution. Humans can achieve the same result only...

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