Date of Award

8-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biosystems Engineering

Committee Chair/Advisor

Dr. Caye Drapcho

Committee Member

Dr. Yi Zheng

Committee Member

Dr. Tom Owino

Abstract

Arsenic is a ubiquitous trace metalloid. However, increasing concentrations of arsenic in soil and water is a problem the world faces due to inputs from anthropogenic sources such as mining, milling, agriculture, and coal ash. One method of remediation for these arsenic-contaminated sites is bioleaching. While it is most often used to extract metals from raw ore, it is a viable and environmentally friendly method to remove the same metals from soil. Bioleaching removes metals by cultivating living organisms such as the fungi Aspergillus niger (A.niger) or the bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans (T.ferrooxidans). This research aimed to investigate A. niger's bioleaching capability in mobilizing arsenic from contaminated soils and testing the natural soil microbiome's ability to do the same. Lastly, the biovolatilization of arsenic was investigated.

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