A microbial fungus - Aspergillus terreus was used to degrade phosphorus in Nigeria’s Agbaja
iron ore in the laboratory. The ore was first crushed to very tiny particles, screened using
Shital test kits and 1.00/0.50mm, 0.50/0.25mm and 0.25/0.125mm particle size fractions were
selected for the experiment. The microbes, obtained from the nascent remains on the ore
environment, were cultured, used to inoculate 1g of sterile ore samples in 250ml conical
flasks containing 100ml of equally sterile malt extract broth media and left to stand. At
weekly interval, the samples were removed, treated through series of chemical reactions and
ammonium phospho-molybdate precipitate was obtained. This was back-titrated with 0.1 NHCl
to determine the amount of phosphorus left in samples and consequently, the amount
removed. Findings reveal that A. terreus is capable of degrading the ore samples. pH
monitoring reveals that the P degradation process proceeded in a culture media of increasing
acidity. It is recommended to further study the chemistry of the mixture of culture media, ore
samples and microbes to find parameters that favour the degradation process.
Key words: Ore, microbes, screening, broth, degradation, accumulation, inoculati
References
[1]
Amadi, N. J., Odunaike, A. A and Marthur, G. P; Preliminary Bench Scale Beneficiation
Studies with Three Lumps of Iron Ore Sample from Agbaja, Central Metallurgical
Research and Development Institute, Jos, Nigeria, 1982.
[2]
Uwadiale, G. G. O. O, 1991, ‘Electrolytic Coagulation and selective Flocculation of
Agbaja Iron Ore’’, Journal of Mining and Geology, Vol.27, No.1, 1991.
[3]
Uwadiale, G. G. O. O. and Nwoke, M. A. U.; Beneficiation of Agbaja Iron Ore by
Reduction Roasting- Magnetic Separation: Semi Pilot Plant Scale-up and Establishment of Residence Point of Phosphorus, National Steel Council, Metallurgical Research and Tests Division, Jos, Nigeria, June 1983.
[4]
Uwadiale, G. G. O. O and Whewell, R. J; Effect of Temperature on Magnetizing
Reduction of Agbaja Iron Ore, Metallurgical Transaction B, Vol. 19B, October 1988, pp
731-735.
[5]
Uwadiale, G. G. O. O ‘Beneficiation Studies of Agbaja Iron Ore’, Ph.D thesis, University
of Strathclyde, June 1984, 341pp.
[6]
Kudrin, V., Steel Making, MIR Publishers, Moscow, 1985, pp 82-83.
[7]
Uwadiale, G. G O.O. and Nwoke, M. A. U. 1983. Gravity Concentration of Agbaja
Oolitic Iron Ore using A Laboratory Size Wilfley Shaking Table. National Steel Council,
Metallurgical Research and Tests Division, Jos, Nigeria
[8]
Uwadiale, G. G. O. O. and Emeka, Okafor; Petrology of Agbaja Ironstone, National
Steel Council, Metallurgical Research and Tests Division, Jos, Nigeria, October 1983.
[9]
Delvasto, P. et al, (November 7-10, 2005). Exploring the possibilities of biological
beneficiation of iron-ores: The phosphorus problem. In: Proceedings of the 15th
Steelmaking Conference, 5th Ironmaking Conference & 1st Environment and Recycling
Symposium IAS (CD-ROM). Argentinean Steelmaking Institute (IAS). San Nicolás,
Buenos Aires, Argentina, pp 71-82.
[10]
Delvasto, P., Ballester, A., Mu?oz, J.A., González, F., Blázquez, M. L., & García-Balboa,
C. (Nov 20-24, 2005). Dephosphorisation of an Iron Ore by a Filamentous Fungus.
Proceedings of Meeting of the Southern Hemisphere on Mineral Technology. Minas
Gerais, Brasil.
[11]
Pradhan, N. et al., 2006, ‘‘Beneficiation of Iron Ore Slime using Aspergillus niger and
Bacillus circulans’’, Bioresource Technology 97: 15, P. 1876-1879
[12]
Anyakwo, C. N., Obot, O. W., 2008, ‘‘Phosphorus Removal from Nigeria’s Agbaja Iron
Ore by Aspergillus niger’’, International Research Journal in Engineering, Science &
Technology, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp 54-58.
[13]
Barnett, H. L., and Hunter, Barry B., 1987, “Illustrated Genera of Imperfect Fungi,’’ 4th
Edition, Macmillan Publishing coy, New York, Collier Macmillan Publishers, London.
[14]
Jain S. K., (1982). An Introduction to Metallurgical Analysis: Chemical and Instrumental,
India, New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House.
[15]
Mohapatra, P. K. (2008). Textbook Of Environmental Microbiology. I.K. International
Publishing House Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.
