Biomining

Not to be confused with Bioprospecting.

Biomining refers to processes that use organisms to extract metals from ores and other solid materials. The largest application currently being used is the treatment of mining waste containing iron, copper, zinc, and gold. It may also be useful in maximizing the yields of increasingly low grade ore deposits. Biomining has been proposed as a relatively environmentally friendly alternative and/or supplementation to traditional mining. Current methods of biomining are modified leach mining processes. These aptly named bioleaching processes most commonly includes the inoculation of extracted rock with bacteria and acidic solution, with the leachate salvaged and processed for the metals of value. Aspirational applications include space biomining, fungal bioleaching and biomining with hybrid biomaterials.

Biomining is related to biohydrometallurgy, a subset or specialized form of hydrometallurgy, which refers to the use of aqueous solutions for metal extraction through a series of chemical reactions. In biohydrometallurgy, the aqueous solutions contain biological agents (bacteria), which assist in the recovery of metals. Bioleaching is closely related to biohydrometallurgy. It focuses on extraction or liberation of metals from their ores through the use of living organisms. Relative to traditional forms of metallurgy, biohydrometallurgy or bioleaching is slow but in principle low cost. These techniques are mainly applied to recovery of copper and gold from low-grade ores. These techniques have been proposed to the extraction of uranium, nickel, and other metals.