Engineered bacteria for treating mature fine tailings generated from bitumen mining processes**********

用于处理沥青开采过程中产生的成熟细尾矿的工程细菌************

• 批准号: 533101-2018
• 负责人: Unsworth, Larry
• 金额: $ 3.59万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=667386
• 关键词: Engineered; bacteria; treating; mature; fine

Currently the production of tailings is an unavoidable consequence of the bitumen mining process used in the**Canadian oil sands industry. Current treatment strategies are unable to cause rapid settling or the effective**dewatering of mature fine tailings. Moreover, the widespread deployment of current flocculation strategies is**both costly and has the potential to negatively impact the environment. As greater quantities of tailings are**produced the need for a complete, environmentally-friendly and economically viable treatment becomes more**urgent. It is proposed herein, that bacteria - already native to tailings ponds - will be engineered to actively**cause settling and dewatering of tailings. By engineering these bacteria surfaces to mimic the properties of**conventional polymers, already shown to be useful in tailings treatment, it is expected that these self-replicating**bacteria will provide both an environmentally safe and significantly cheaper alternative to polymer flocculants.**Moreover, as engineered bacteria will settle along with suspended solids and naturally dewater upon death, it is**expected that a more compact mature fine tailings will be formed. Finally, safety through genetic engineering**has been considered using best practice principles to ensure no environmental harm occurs through the use of**these bacteria.****

目前，尾矿的产生是加拿大油砂行业使用的沥青开采过程不可避免的结果。目前的处理策略无法导致成熟细尾矿的快速沉降或有效**脱水。此外，当前絮凝策略的广泛部署**不仅成本高昂，而且有可能对环境产生负面影响。随着尾矿数量的增加，对完整、环保且经济可行的处理方法的需求变得更加迫切。本文提出，将对尾矿池原生的细菌进行改造，以主动**引起尾矿的沉降和脱水。通过对这些细菌表面进行改造以模仿**传统聚合物的特性（已被证明可用于尾矿处理），预计这些自我复制的**细菌将提供一种对环境安全且价格便宜得多的聚合物絮凝剂替代品。**此外，由于工程细菌将与悬浮固体一起沉降并在死亡时自然脱水，因此**预计会出现更紧凑的成熟细颗粒。 会形成尾矿。最后，使用最佳实践原则考虑了基因工程**的安全性，以确保使用**这些细菌不会造成环境危害。****