Acidithiobacillus

Acidithiobacillus is a bacterial genus within the Gammaproteobacteria whose species have been recorded by the year 2000 to the genus Thiobacillus (Family Hydrogenophilaceae the beta - Proteobacteria ), and is currently the only genus of the family Acidithiobacillaceae. The species of the genus are characterized by chemolithotrophy, Acidophilie and the ability for the oxidation of elemental sulfur and reduced sulfur compounds.

Characteristic and well-studied species are:

• Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans: oxidized ferrous iron, elemental sulfur and reduced sulfur compounds. Through these oxidations iron-sulfur minerals such as pyrite and marcasite are resolved. The resulting metabolites are trivalent iron or sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid. The genus Acidithiobacillus tolerated very high acid concentrations, this bacterium was found in sour waters that seep from pyrite -containing mining dumps.
• Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans: oxidizes reduced sulfur compounds to sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid. The bacterium was found in sour waters that seep mining heaps of pyrite -containing, and in damaged sewer lines containing hydrogen sulfide and other reduced sulfur compounds.

Both species inhabit rocks, mines and mining dumps, the compounds with ferrous iron or reduced sulfur compounds or contain both. They are used industrially in the bioleaching, a special metal recovery process in which by bacterial oxidation metals from sulphide ores, gold from pyrite inclusion and uranium obtained from uraninite - bearing ores.

Species

• Acidithiobacillus albertensis Corrig. ( Bryant et al., 1988) Kelly & Wood 2000
• Acidithiobacillus Caldus ( Hallberg & Lindström 1995) Kelly & Wood 2000
• Acidithiobacillus cuprithermicus
• Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (Temple and Colmer 1951) Kelly & Wood 2000
• Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans ( Waksman and Joffe 1922) Kelly & Wood 2000