Lineta Tsertsvadze

The release of metals from cane, ore and waste by soil microorganisms is discussed through multiple populations. In the proposed method of bacterial extraction bio-organic complex made on the basis of peat is involved in the process. It is established Biochemical action of microbes to extract rare, precious and radioactive metals Different trends of enrichment. The method can be used for production waste and to clean the bulk from toxic elements.

The paper describes the composition of the gases released as a result of the biological treatment of ores and rocks from the production wastes, ores and rocks of the Chiaturi manganese and Madneuli copper deposits. As studies have shown, the qualitative and quantitative indicators of gases released during the leaching of metals from different types of substrates in the same region during microbiological treatment almost coincide, which indicates that the microflora of leached solutions formed in a niche of the same region is characterized by a similar metabolism.

The article illustrates the possibilities of enriching the expensive and precious metals using gleying microorganisms. Introducing our method will allow to make mining of the deposits waste-free or reduced wastes. Apart from this it will be possible to produce not only the main metals, but also the associated expensive components, including the gold and rare metals for technicaprogress. 

Горнодобывающий комбинат Маднеули на сегодняшний день является действующим производством, где интенсивно продолжаются горно-добывающие работы, но вместе с тем нарушаются экологические нормативы. Разработанный в институте способ экстракции металлов с использованием микроорганизмов, участвующих в процессах оглеения, показал возможность очистки отходов горной промышленности от таких токсичных металлов как уран, кадмий, молибден, мышьяк, цинк и другие что приведет к значительному оздоровлению экологической обстановки в районе при его применении в производственном цикле или для обработки уже существующих отвалов и хвостов. Что касается очистки загрязненных вод, здесь очень хорошие результаты были получены в лаборатории при использовании таких адсорбентов как бентонитовые глины и цеолиты, применение которых намного сократит в районе площадь распространения токсичных металлов. 

Natural and artificial slopes of various origins (mountain, road) are subject to intense soil erosion, leading to loss of land, as well as the spread of heavy metals and other harmful substances from open mine workings. This problem is especially important for Georgia, which for the most part is a mountainous country, where slopes of various geological composition and structure abound. Slope erosion is the cause of a significant violation of the ecological balance of the environment. In Georgia, conditions are easily created for sliding masses of various scales, which are a good object for scientific research and engineering solutions. The main advantages of the proposed method are: (1) the method is cheap, fast and easy to use; (2) the method is absolutely environmentally safe; (3) does not require additional materials or biotextiles, since the mixture consists of natural sorbents that have a high binding capacity; (4) the grass does not need to be sown into the soil, the grass seeds are mixed in the binding solution; (5) the method is applicable in a variety of geological conditions with different slope inclinations; (6) the result is achieved quickly, if the method is applied in late autumn, grass of controlled density will grow the following spring. As shown by the preliminary study, the composition of the binding solution must be adapted to specific climatic and hypsometric conditions.

The results of collaborative work carried out in the field of biotechnology at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics (FLNP) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) (Dubna, Russia) jointly with scientists from Georgia are presented. Using instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA), significant results were obtained in the following directions – medical biotechnology, environmental biotechnology and industrial biotechnology. In the biomedical experiments a blue-green alga Spirulina platensis biomass has been used as a matrix for the development of pharmaceutical substances containing such vitally important trace elements as selenium, chromium and iodine. The feasibility of target-oriented introduction of these elements into Spirulina platensis biocomplexesretaining its protein composition and natural beneficial properties has been proved. The adsorption of such toxic metal as mercury by Spirulina platensis biomass in dynamics of growth has been studied also. NAA has been successfully applied to investigate the biotechnology of toxic Cr(VI) transformation into less toxic Cr(III) complexes by Cr(VI)-reducer bacteria isolated from polluted basalts in Georgia. This method was used to track accumulation of chromium in the bacterial cells. To monitor and identify Cr(III) complexes in these bacteria, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry was employed. For the first time, the elemental composition of Cr(VI)-reducer bacteria has been studied, using epithermal NAA.The natural organic mass of vegetal origin – peat – was applied as a source of microorganisms to study the bacterial leaching of some metals from lean ores, rocks and industrial wastes. 

The results of the study of the possibility of bacterial leaching of the waste of mining-dressing industry for the purpose of decreasing the concentration of toxic metals which are washing out by sewage from the tailing dump and disposal area, causing pollution of underground waters and soils within the territory of industrial cities. The results of bacterial processing of tailings and waste, based on the application of natural biochemical process of weathering and leaching, are presented. According to the experimental data, even the first cycle of bacterial leaching decreases the content such as metals as: U, Cd, As, Mo, Sb, Co, W, V, Cr, Ni, Sr, Zn, Mn, etc. by 50% and more. The example of Chiatura city and the industrial center of Kazrety, shows that the usage of this method in the technological processing of ores decreases considerably the risk of the pollution of waters and soils by toxic metals and promotes to the improvement of the ecological situation and a more rational usage of natural resources. 

This Refinery is on the East coast of the Black Sea. Research work has been conducted to determine the sources and levels of oil contamination. Pollution of soil and ground waters has been detected at the depth of 70 m in the drilled wells and on the sea bottom at a distance of 4 km. In the laboratory we investigated the influence of Pseudomonas bacterium extracted from the humid subtropical soil on oil. Results show we have very high activity in assimilation of heterocyclic and aromatic combinations. The optimal regime and elaborate remediation technology for underground waters and soil was found.The investigation showed that the optimal version for recultivating oil- and petroleum-product-contaminated terra rossa and ground waters was the sample with green peas for seeding in the presence of biogenic material - peat, and the biomass of Pseudomonas accumulative cultures. In this version 87% of petroleum products is degraded, while the survivability of oil-destroying microbes is 13,04×102 cells per 1 g dry soil. 

The method of extraction of metals from industrial solutions by means of economical and easy to apply biosorbents in subtropics such as products of tea manufacturing, moss, microorganisms is described. The multi-component solutions obtained in the process of leaching of ores, rocks and industrial wastes by peat suspension were used in the experiments. The element composition of sorbent biomass and solutions was investigated by epithermal neutron activation analysis and by atomic absorption spectrometry. The results obtained evidence that the used biosorbents are applicable for extraction of the whole set of heavy metals and actinides (U, Th, Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb, Li, Rb, Sr, Cd, As, Co and others) from industrial solutions.

The results of preliminary investigations aimed at the development of an economical and easy to apply technique of bacterial leaching of rare and valuable metales out of low-grade ores, complex composition ores, rocks, and industrial wastes in Georgia are discussed. The Main groups of microbiological comunity of the peat suspension used in the experiments of bacterial leaching are investigated and the activity of particular microorganisms in the leaching of the primary and processed samples was investigated by the epithermal neutron activation analysis method and the enrichment/subtraction level is estimated for various elements. The efficiency of the developed technique to purify wastes, extract some scrace metals, and enrich ores or rocks in some elements, e.g. Au, U, TH, Cs, Sr, Rb, Sc, Zr, Hf, Ta, Gd, Er, Lu, Ce, etc., is demonstrated.