Autotrophic growth, bacterial

Aurothiopropanolsulfonate, 36 18-19 [Au6(nPT) ], 40 444-445 Autoprotolysis, see Solvents, self-ionization Autotrophic bacteria, 36 105 growth, bacterial, 45 359-362 Axial ligands, substitution properties in quad-ruply bridged dinuclear complexes, 40 232-234... 

Biodegradation. The biological mineralization of fixed nitrogen is well studied ammonia is oxidized to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate, by autotrophic bacteria, and nitrate is reduced to nitrogen by anaerobic bacteria. On the other hand, ammonia and nitrate are essential nutrients for plant and bacterial growth, so one option is to use these organisms to take up and use the contaminants. 

The growth of autotrophic bacteria on metal sulfides produces acidic solutions of Fe(III). Such solutions can effectively oxidize and solubilize metallic species. The best known example is that of uranium, where insoluble UO2 is oxidized by Fe(III) to give UOi, which dissolves in the acidic solution and subsequently can be recovered chemically. The same result can be achieved using chemically produced Fe(III), but the bacterial method results in the regeneration of the Fe(III) and is economically more attractive. 

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