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Efficient gold recovery by microbial electrochemical technologies
Yolina Hubenova1, Elitsa Chorbadzhiyska2, Krassimir L Kostov3
1Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems "Acad. E. Budevski" - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria; Plovdiv University "Paisii Hilendarski", Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|November 13, 2022
Summary
Microbial electrochemical technologies, including the microbial electrochemical snorkel (MES), efficiently recover gold. The MES method achieved high gold removal and recovery rates, outperforming microbial fuel cells (MFC).
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Electrochemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Microbial electrochemical technologies offer sustainable solutions for metal recovery.
- Gold recovery from industrial waste streams presents economic and environmental challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of microbial fuel cells (MFC) and microbial electrochemical snorkel (MES) for gold recovery.
- To compare the performance of MES and MFC in gold deposition and removal.
- To explore the potential of MES for recovering gold from complex solutions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFC) with bioanodes in sediment.
- Applied microbial electrochemical snorkel (MES) by short-circuiting bioanodes and cathodes in gold solutions.
- Analyzed electrochemical data, microscopic images, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
Main Results:
- MES demonstrated superior performance over MFC for gold recovery, achieving ~95% removal and recovery within a day.
- Cathodic efficiency approached 100%, with deposited gold in elemental form.
- MES successfully recovered gold from complex solutions simulating printed circuit board waste, using cost-effective graphitized paper cathodes.
Conclusions:
- Microbial electrochemical snorkel (MES) is a highly effective technology for gold recovery.
- MES offers advantages over MFC, particularly under short-circuit conditions.
- The technology shows promise for sustainable gold recovery from electronic waste leachates.
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