Bioleaching of Copper from Auto-Switch and Inverter Printed Circuit Board using Microbial Metabolites

IJEP 42(10): 1202-1207 : Vol. 42 Issue. 10 (October 2022)

Riddhi I. Mistri, Rinkal J. Chaudhary, Jhanvi K. Rathi, Shital C. Thacker and Devayani R. Tipre*

Gujarat University, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Ahmedabad – 380 009, Gujarat, India

Abstract

Electronic equipment commonly known as e-waste is the fastest-growing solid waste in the world. E-waste is nowadays preferentially used for the recovery of metals from printed circuit boards (PCBs). The PCB is a significant part of all electronic waste, and it is a potential source of different metals, thus known as an urban mine. The study aimed to enhance the extraction of copper from pulverised waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) using an iron-oxidising consortium from the inverter and auto-switch WPCBs. Microbial leaching is based mainly on the potential of microorganisms to generate lixiviants that mobilise metals from PCBs. Iron-oxidising bacteria generate ferric iron and protons that extract several metals in the aqueous phase. In this study, optimisation of various parameters was done. Optimised conditions for inverter WPCBs and auto-switch WPCBs showed more than 95% extraction of copper at pH 1.8 to 2.0, ferrous iron concentration from 6% to 8% and pulp density of 10%.

Keywords

Waste printed circuit boards, Auto-switch, Inverter, Bioleaching, Oxidising iron bacteria, Consortium, Copper

References

  1. Khatri, B.R., et al. 2018. Chemical and microbial leaching of base metals from obsolete cell-phone printed circuit boards. Sustain. Env. Res., 28(6): 333-339.
  2. Hagelüken., C. 2006. Recycling of electronic scrap at Umicore precious metals refining. Acta. Metall. Slovaca. 12:111–120.
  3. Pradhan, J.K. and S. Kumar. 2012. Metals biolea-ching from electronic waste by Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonads sp. Waste Manage. Res., 30:1151–1159.
  4. Akinseye, V.O. 2013. Electronic waste components in developing countries: Harmless substances or potential carcinogen. Ann. Rev. Res. Biol., 3:131–147.
  5. Lim, S. and J.M. Schoenung. 2010. Toxicity potentials from waste cellular phones and a waste management policy integrating consumer, corporate and government responsibilities. Waste Manage., 30:1653-1660.
  6. Tsydenova, O. and M. Bengtsson. 2011. Chemical hazards associated with treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment. Waste Manage., 31:45–58.
  7. Pradhan, J.K. and S. Kumar. 2014. Informal e-waste recycling: Environmental risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in Mandoli industrial area, Delhi, India. Env. Sci. Poll. Res., 21:7913–7928.
  8. Dave, S.R., et al. 2016. E-waste: Metal pollution threat or metal resource? J. Adv. Res. Biotech., 1(2):1-14.
  9. Isildar, A., et al. 2016. Two-step bioleaching of copper and gold from discarded printed circuit boards (PCB). Waste Manage., 57:149-157.
  10. Sodha, A.B., et al. 2020. Optimisation of biohydro-metallurgical batch reactor process for copper extraction and recovery from non-pulverised waste printed circuit boards. Hydrometallurgy. 191: 105170.
  11. Noubactep, C. 2010. Elemental metals for environmental remediation: Learning from cementation process. J. Hazard. Mater., 181(1–3):1170–1174.
  12. Lobana, T.S. and P.V.K. Bhatia. 1995. Liquid-liquid extraction of cobalt (II), nickel (II) and copper (II) from basic medium using some b-diketones. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., 107:35–38.
  13. Dong, Y., et al. 2017. Combined microbial desalination cell and electrodialysis system for copper-containing wastewater treatment and high-salinity water desalination. J. Hazard. Mater., 321:307–315.
  14. Su, Y.N., et al. 2014. Performance of integrated membrane filtration and electrodialysis processes for copper recovery from wafer polishing wastewater. J. Water Proc. Eng., 4:149–158.
  15. Konsowa, A.H. 2010. Intensification of the rate of heavy metal removal from wastewater by cementation. Desalination,254:29–34.
  16. Vogel, A. I. 1961. Text-book of quantitative inorganic analysis including elementary instrumental analysis (3rd edn). ELBS and Longman, London.
  17. Sethurajan, M., et al. 2019. Recent advances on hydrometallurgical recovery of critical and precious elements from end-of-life electronic wastes- A review. Crit. Rev. Env. Sci. Tech.,49(3):212-275.
  18. Brandl, H., et al. 2001. Computer-munching microbes: Metal leaching from electronic scrap by bacteria and fungi. Hydrometallurgy. 59(2-3): 319-326.
  19. Wang, J., et al. 2009. Bioleaching of metals from printed wire boards by Acidithiobacillus ferro-oxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and their mixture. J. Hazard. Mater., 172: 1100-1105.
  20. Ilyas, S., et al. 2010.Column bioleaching of metals from electronic scrap. Hydrometallurgy. 101(3-4): 135-140.
  21. Liang, G., et al. 2010. Novel strategies of biolea-ching metals from printed circuit boards (PCBs) in mixed cultivation of two acidophiles. Enzyme Microb. Tech.,47(7): 322-326.
  22. Willner, J. 2012. Leaching of selected heavy metals from electronic waste in the presence of the A. ferrooxidans bacteria. J. Achiev. Mater. Manuf. Eng., 55: 860-863.
  23. Amiri, F., et al. 2011. Enhancement of bioleaching of a spent Ni/Mo hydroprocessing catalyst by Penicillium simplicissimum. Sep. Purif. Tech., 80(3): 566-576.