Bio-Hydrometallurgy of Electronic Waste: Extraction of Precious Metals by Cyanogenic Microorganisms and Influencing Factors
Subject Areas : Journal of Environmental Friendly MaterialsH Ahmadiani 1 , A Rabieifar 2 , H Sabet 3
1 - Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of Materials Engineering, ST.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Department of Materials Engineering, Ka.C., Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
Keywords: E-Waste Recycling, Precious Metal Extraction, Bio-Hydrometallurgy, Bioleaching,
Abstract :
Extracting of precious metals from electronic waste (e-waste), such as waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs), contributes to environmental sustainability while offering high recovery rates and significant profitability. If improperly disposed of, E-waste contains heavy and toxic metals that can leach into groundwater and rainwater, eventually entering the human food chain. On the other hand, e-waste is also a rich source of precious metals, particularly gold (Au). One of the most effective methods for recovery from e-waste is bio-hydrometallurgy, which utilizes microorganisms to enhance recovery efficiency, ensure environmental compatibility, and reduce energy consumption. The indirect bioleaching method is employed in the case of precious metal extraction from e-waste. This process requires bacteria or fungi capable of producing cyanogenic compounds, including bacterial species such as Chromo-bacteriu-mviolaceum, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida, as well as fungal species such as Marasmiusoreades, Clitocybe sp., and Polysporus sp. Several factors influence bioleaching efficiency by cyanogenic microorganisms, including pulp density, pH, waste particle size, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), cyanide concentration, and production rate. Among these, pulp density, pH, DO, and cyanide content are more critical than waste particle size and temperature
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