Recent bioleaching approaches employed for the extraction of metals in mining fields for the purpose of utilization and creating the sustainable future

Abstract

Recovery of the resources is considered to be a significant thing in the perspective of saving the cost economically and also for sustainable future utilization efficiently. Metals are extracted by mining processes in mines located on all over the world to consummate the needs put forth by the developing society. But mining process was found to be possessing and creating negative impact on environment during the time of mining and even after closed completely. This negative impact mainly relies on the process which is employed during the extraction of metals. Chemical methods were conventionally used from then until today for the extraction purposes. But it was reported that it has been severely affecting the surroundings. So, many mining industries started to find out the way for shifting themselves towards eco‐friendly procedures. As a result, microorganisms are employed to promote the process towards non‐polluting and naturally sustainable way. This process of using microorganisms for the extraction purposes was termed as bioleaching. It is now regarded as one of the effective ways for extraction purposes, but in limited cases. So, rather than using the chemical leaching method which highly includes chemical reactions that may be toxic or non‐toxic, this bioleaching method could be followed for its cost‐effective nature. It is a more environmentally friendly method when compared with traditional methods of industrial mining. Bacterial and Fungal species were importantly used for carrying out bioleaching. This method has now become a possible thing because of biotechnological improvements and advancements. It is also worth to note here that many researches have been going on currently to study the diversity of this concept. This article mainly aims at elucidating the overall concept of bioleaching using microorganisms in the mining industry as well as its mechanisms, applications, recent advancements and its future expectations.

Microbial recovery of rare earth elements from various waste sources: a mini review with emphasis on microalgae

“…Bioleaching is a process by which microorganisms, usually bacteria or fungi, are used to extract metals from ores, minerals, or secondary sources (Adentuji et al 2023; Devi and Ganesh 2023 ). This method is an alternative to traditional chemical or physical processes for metal extraction.…”