Bioleaching of Rare Earth Elements and Uranium From Sinai Soil, Egypt Using Actinomycetes | ||
| The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine | ||
| Article 18, Volume 53, Issue 1, October 2013, Pages 909-917 PDF (297.09 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.12816/0001653 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Maha Amin Hewedy; Abeer Ahmed Rushdy; Noha Mohammed Kamal | ||
| College of Women for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University Cairo, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The use of microorganisms in the recovery of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Uranium (U) from low grade ores provides an appropriate eco-friendly alternative to chemical methods used in extraction and/or removal of metals from soils, with a higher efficiency, less destruction to the environment, and lower cost from a commercial view especially given that high-grade mineral resources that can be used in the chemical extraction of metals are being depleted. The feasibility of using actinomycetes to recover REEsand Ufrom a low-grade ore occurring in an Egyptian soil in Wadi Abu Thor, Sinai, Egypt, was investigated. The most effective isolate in REEs-bioleaching was Streptomyces fungicidicus YH04, while the most effective isolate in U-bioleaching was Streptomyces aureofaciens 3001(1). Streptomyces fungicidicus YH04 bioleached 37.13% of the REEs present in the sample, while S. aureofaciens 3001(1) bioleached of 12.56% of the U present in the sample. The isolated strains of actinomycetes can be used to extract REEs and U by better, more economic and less polluting bioleaching processes instead of the chemical processes which are in common use today. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Actinomycetes; Streptomyces; Rare earth elements; Uranium; Bioleaching | ||
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