Toxicity evaluation of complex metal mixtures using reduced metal concentrations: Application to iron oxidation by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Kyung Suk Cho, Hee Wook Ryu, Hyung Min Choi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the inhibition effects of single and mixed heavy metal ions (Zn2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+) on iron oxidation by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Effects of metals on the iron oxidation activity of A. ferrooxidans are categorized into four types of patterns according to its oxidation behavior. The results indicated that the inhibition effects of the metals on the iron oxidation activity were noncompetitive inhibitions. We proposed a reduced inhibition model, along with the reduced inhibition constant (αi), which was derived from the inhibition constant (KI) of individual metals and represented the tolerance of a given inhibitor relative to that of a reference inhibitor. This model was used to evaluate the toxicity effect (inhibition effect) of metals on the iron oxidation activity of A. ferrooxidans. The model revealed that the iron oxidation behavior of the metals, regardless of metal systems (single, binary, ternary, or quaternary), is closely matched to that of any reference inhibitor at the same reduced inhibition concentration, [I]reduced, which defines the ratio of the inhibitor concentration to the reduced inhibition constant. The model demonstrated that single metal systems and mixed metal systems with the same reduced inhibitor concentrations have similar toxic effects on microbial activity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1298-1307
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
Volume18
Issue number7
StatePublished - 28 Jul 2008

Keywords

  • Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
  • Metal toxicity
  • Reduced inhibition constant
  • Reduced inhibition model
  • Reduced metal concentration

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