BIOLEACHING AND INTERRELATED ACIDOPHILIC MICROORGANISMS FROM RIO-TINTO, SPAIN

An ecological study of the microbial communities of the Tinto River sh owed a high level of diversity, which was not expected due to the extr eme conditions of the habitat: pH around 2 and high levels of metallic cations. The physical and chemical parameters of the river were measu red and could be correlated with the microbial communities identified along its course. A geomicrobiological model is presented in which the extreme conditions of the river are due to microbial activity rather than to inadequate pollution control in the mining operations.