Bacteria That Oxidize or Reduce Iron

In Nature, there reside bacteria that acquire the energy for life processes by oxidizing ferrous ion to ferric ion. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leplospirillum ferrooxidans oxidize ferrous ion to ferric ion at pH 2.0 and are the most well known among the bacteria that oxidize ferrous ion. Ferrous ion is easily oxidized spontaneously by molecular oxygen at neutral pH, while at pH 2.0 it is not oxidized spontaneously but is easily oxidized even at pH 2.0 by the action of the acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria. These bacteria are utilized in various industrial processes because of their ability to oxidize ferrous to ferric ions at pH 2.0. In particular, A. ferrooxidans has been well studied industrially as well as scientifically. 

Chlorobium ferrooxidans ND 17FeC03 + 29H20 17Fe(OH)3 + [C4H703] + 13C02 18-30 6.3-7.1 Anaerobic (5) 

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