Waste and process waters frequently contain elevated concentrations of metals and other toxic contaminants, such as arsenic. While treatment of these waters is required in order to decrease the toxic concentrations of metals and metalloids, recovery of metals with potential economic value would help to secure the supply of metals for industry and domestic consumption. Contaminants are also often a problem for further treatment of these waste streams and effluents, and need to be destroyed or removed to overcome potential pollution hazards. The development and optimization of methods in biohydrometallurgy has opened new opportunities for the processing of metal-containing effluents with potential for metal recovery. Biological treatment of process waters via bioprecipitation and biosorption has been used successfully in laboratory to full-scale operations to recover transition metals and remove contaminants from both acid mine drainage waters and mineral-processing effluents. Novel biological approaches and systems have been developed which are also more selective and applicable than sole chemical approaches for mine waters where metal concentrations are relatively small. The biological systems are flexible and can be integrated with chemical systems to overcome issues of metal and salt/solute toxicity. The combination of biological and chemical methods for water treatment and metal recovery from wastewaters can help to secure metal supply and support the principle of zero-waste generation.

Waste or resource? Biological approaches for the treatment of metal-rich waters

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.