[Biological agents for controlling the density of blood-sucking black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the north of Armenia].

Biological agents were found to have high larvicidal activity against Simuliidae of two Bacillus thuringiensis spp. israelensis strains. To reduce the number of the pre-imago stages of black flies, the biological agent BLP-2477 should be used as most effective from an environmental point of view.

[Selective extraction of metals from zinc concentrate by association of chemolithotrophic bacteria].

Ability for selective extraction of copper and zinc from zinc concentrate using association of chemolithotrophic bacteria was investigated. In the presence of bacterial association, the rate of desalinization of zinc, copper, and iron was increased 3-fold, 4-5-fold, and 2-fold, respectively. Zinc, copper, and iron were levigated with the most significant rate. It was revealed that addition of Fe3+ 2 g/l resulted in reduction of iron desalinization and in 3-fold increase of desalinization rate of copper at constant dissolution rate of mineral zinc. It is suggested that the intensification of copper desalinization is connected with the activity of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria able to activate the mineral surface via elimination of passivation layer of elemental sulfur. It was concluded that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria play a significant role in copper desalinization from zinc concentrate. A unique strain of mesophile sulfur-oxidizing bacteria was isolated from desalinization pulp of zinc concentrate; in the perspective, it may serve as efficient candidate for performing of selective extraction of copper from zinc concentrate.

[Periodic bioleaching of refractory gold-bearing pyrite ore].

The main characteristics of a periodic bioleaching of the refractory gold-bearing pyrite ore from the Tandzut deposit (Armenia) with the help of moderate thermophilic bacterium Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxi-dans subsp. asporogenes and original thermotolerant strains Leptospirillum spp. were studied. The optimal pH for oxidizing the ore by S. thermosulfidooxidans subsp. asporogenes was 1.8; the pulp density providing maximal iron leaching rate was 10%. The intensity of oxidation processes decreased at higher ore concentrations. When using S. thermosulfidooxidans subsp. asporogenes, the largest amount of iron passed into the solution at the initial oxidant (Fe3+) concentration of 1.3 g/l. Cocultivation of S. thermosulfidooxidans subsp. asporogenes and Leptospirillum spp. increased the degree of pyrite ore leaching to 98.4% vs. 34.1% in the case of the former bacterium alone.

[Leptospirillum-like bacteria and their role in pyrite oxidation]. / Leptospirillum-podobnye bakterii i otsenka ikh roli v okislenii pirita.

Two strains of Leptospirillum-like bacteria isolated from dumps of Alaverdi and Akhtala sulfide ore deposits in Armenia were studied. The optimum and maximum temperatures for the growth of both strains were 37 and 40 degrees C, respectively. The pH optimum was 2.0-2.3. Bacterial growth and ferrous iron oxidation were inhibited by yeast extract. The pyrite-leaching activity of the Leptospirillum-like bacteria under mesophilic conditions was close to that of Acidithiobacillus ferroxidans and exceeded by 2.0-2.7 times the activity of these moderately thermophilic bacteria at 37 degrees C. The leaching of pyrite by Leptospirillum-like bacteria increased in the presence of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, particularly, in their association with a thermotolerant sulfur-oxidizing bacterium.