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Electrophoretic analysis of cyanide depletion by Pseudomonas alcaligenes
Author(s) -
Zaugg Spencer E.,
Davidson Robert A.,
Walker Jeffrey C.,
Walker Edward B.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/elps.1150180205
Subject(s) - cyanide , formate , chemistry , alcaligenes , capillary electrophoresis , bacteria , pseudomonas , chromatography , environmental chemistry , inorganic chemistry , nuclear chemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis , biology , genetics
Bacterial‐facilitated depletion of cyanide is under development for remediation of heap leach operations in the gold mining industry. Capillary electrophoresis was found to be a powerful tool for quantifying cyanide depletion. Changes in cyanide concentration in aqueous suspensions of Pseudomonas alcaligenes bacteria and cyanide at eleveated pH were easily monitored by capillary electrophoresis. The resulting data can be used to study rates of cyanide depletion by this strain of bacteria. Concentrations of these bacteria at 10 5 cells/mL were found to reduce cyanide from 100 ppm to less than 8 ppm in four days. In addition, other ions of interest in cyanide metabolism, such as formate, can be simultaneously analyzed. Direct UV detection of cyanide at 192 nm further simplifies the analytical method for these ions.