Bioremediation of acidic mine effluents and the role of sulfidogenic biosystems: a mini-review

Abstract

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is recognised as a serious and global environmental problem. The major producer of these toxic effluents is the mining industry. Owing to the severe effects of these effluents, their prevention and treatment have been a primary focus of research over several decades. The problems have invited the attention of a large group of researchers, governmental bodies, educational and research establishments, mining industries, general public and environmental specialists. A preferable option is to prevent the formation and movement of AMD from its source of origin; however, it is not possible in many locations. It, therefore, becomes essential to collect and treat AMD to which a number of treatment techniques are available. Despite the extreme environmental conditions, several communities of autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria and archaea are seen to flourish that mainly drive the rate of release of sulfur and toxic metals into the environment. The present review briefly discusses the cause and occurrence of AMD and the microbial diversity observed in such ecosystems. In addition, the bioremediation options are briefly presented with a discussion on the role of sulfidogenic biosystems in the bioremediation of the AMD.

Hydrometallurgical recycling strategies for recovery of rare earth elements from consumer electronic scraps: a review

“…Mining generates overburden, waste rocks and stockpiles which can be the source of radiological emissions, metals, dust and acid mine drainage (AMD). 97 Processing of such resources leads to the problems of comminution dust and tailings that serve as a causative agent for radioactive materials in the liquid waste with turbidity rise and organic contamination problems. 98 The release of REEs from tailings or stockpiles or even discarded EOL substances can alter the cellular mechanism of humans.…”

Living at the Frontiers of Life: Extremophiles in Chile and Their Potential for Bioremediation

“…The acidophilic microorganisms mobilize metals and generate AMD. AMD generates most of the extremely acidic niches on Earth and disseminates heavy metals in the environment ( Panda et al, 2016 ).…”

Role of microorganisms in rehabilitation of mining sites, focus on Sub Saharan African countries

“…Therefore, these processes are increasingly being considered as viable long term treatment options, mainly in abandoned mines. Different techniques have been developed to enhance the efficacy of these biological methods, as outlined in several reviews on the subject (Kuyucak, 2002;Kalin, 2004;Johnson and Hallberg, 2005;Cohen, 2006;Mayes et al, 2009;Gadd, 2010;Akcil and Koldas, 2006;Sheoran and Sheoran, 2006;Neculita et al, 2007;Sheoran et al, 2010;Rayu et al, 2012;Klein et al, 2013;Johnson, 2014;Dixit et al, 2015;Panda et al, 2016;Kefeni et al in 2017;Skousen et al, 2017;Kiran et al, 2017;Thavamani et al, 2017;Li et al, 2018;Fernando et al, 2018;Marques, 2018, etc.). In this section, we will focus on biological treatment of acid mine drainage based on (i) the precipitation of Fe oxides and hydroxides catalyzed by Fe oxidizing microorganisms in aerobic conditions and (ii) the precipitation of metal sulfides catalyzed by sulfate-reducing bacteria in anaerobic conditions.…”