Electronic Waste

9Recycling Technologies – Biohydrometallurgy

Franziska L. Lederer and Katrin Pollmann

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Biotechnology Division, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany

9.1 Introduction

Biohydrometallurgy is one of many different processes for metal recovery. As a highly interdisciplinary field, biohydrometallurgy combines microorganisms and their metabolites (−bio) in a mainly aquatic environment (−hydro) and the treatment of metal-containing materials or solutions (−metallurgy) for metal production and treatment. It is applied to many different metal-rich materials from primary mineral sources, secondary mining products, and numerous manufactured resources (Watling 2015). Biohydrometallurgy uses biological tools for the processing of primary ores for many years – especially in case of bioleaching. Besides that, special biological tools can enhance the metal recovery from manufactured resources such as technical waste products, processing wastes, industrial waste waters, and other secondary sources (Pollmann et al. 2018). In nature, multiple processes exist that influence biogeochemical cycles of elements. These microorganism-driven processes contribute to bioaccumulation, bioweathering, biomineralization, and precipitation or microbial reduction. Using these bio-inspired processes promotes biological recycling strategies as well as several clean industrial processes, bio-based materials, and ...