Characterization of microbial community in industrial bioleaching heap of copper sulfide ore at Monywa mine, Myanmar

Microbial communities and activities in multi-lift bioleaching heap of copper sulfide ore were investigated at Monywa copper mine, Myanmar. The high-throughput sequencing method revealed a microbial community dominated by archaeal Ferroplasma (about 70%), rather than more commonly reported genera of Acidithiobacillus and Leptospirillum (together about 25% in Monywa heap). Multi-lift stacking operation without heap aeration resulted in low oxygen concentrations in the heaps (leachate oxygen concentration of 0.35 mg L− 1 to 0.68 mg L− 1). Therefore, low oxygen concentrations, high organic matter concentrations and moderate temperature in the heaps favored the growth of versatile Ferroplasma which can both undergo autotrophic and heterotrophic growth. Total cell number in the irrigation solution and leachate was in the range of 4.86-8.80 × 106 mL− 1, and the detected microbes in ore residues and leaching solutions were mainly those with iron-oxidizing ability. Their iron-oxidizing rate showed highest at the temperature of 35 °C, while in heaps may be limited by the low oxygen supply. Monywa bioleaching system with the above mentioned microbial community and activity formed a leaching solution of low redox potential, resulting in appropriate pyrite oxidation during chalcocite dissolution, thus helped maintain relatively stable acid and iron concentration in the cycling leaching solution. This study explained the formation of the microbial community and activity in Monywa heap leaching, linking to its heap physical and chemical conditions, and suggested that the role of Ferroplasma in bioleaching system may have been overlooked previously, especially in oxygen-limited bioleaching heaps.