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Biolixiviation of Metals from Computer Printed Circuit Boards by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Bioremoval of Metals by Mixed Culture Subjected to a Magnetic Field

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Abstract

Crushed and ground printed circuit board (PCB) samples were characterized to evaluate copper, lead, and aluminum using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and the morphology was done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRF characterizations showed 0.12% lead, 3.72% copper, and 12.73% aluminum in the PCBs. The metal solubilization experiments using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans indicated higher values of total metal solubilization when the initial pH of the inoculum was adjusted. However, these experiments did not show higher metal solubilization by bioleaching. The sequential bioremoval experiments using mixed culture after bioleaching assays with A. ferrooxidans with initial adjustment of inoculum pH and without applying a magnetic field removed 100% of Al, 27.34% of Cu, and 96.43% of Pb from the lixiviate medium; with magnetic field application, 100% of Al, 83.82% of Cu, and 98.27% of Pb were removed. A similar bioleaching experiment without inoculum pH adjustment and without field application achieved 99.74% removal for Cu and 91.92% for Pb. When the magnetic field was applied, 100% of Cu and 95.76% of Pb were removed. Bioreactors with a magnetic field do not show significantly better removal of any of the metals analyzed.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Federal University of Uberlândia, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development—Process: 424724/2018-9 (CNPq-Brazil), Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES-Brazil), and Foundation for Research Support of the State of Minas Gerais for promoting research.

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  1. Chemical Engineering Faculty, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. João Naves de Ávila 2121, Campus Santa Mônica, Bloco 1K, P.O. Box 593, Uberlândia, MG, 38408-144, Brazil

    Jessica Gatti Silva, Mayara Teixeira da Silva, Vicelma Luiz Cardoso & Miriam Maria de Resende

  2. Civil Engineering Faculty, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. João Naves de Ávila, 2121, Campus Santa Mônica - Bloco 1Y, Uberlândia, MG, CEP: 38408-144, Brazil

    Roseli Mendonça Dias

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The authors, JGS and RMD, were responsible for writing the Experimental part of the manuscript and writing it. Professors VLC and MMR guided the experiments and corrected the manuscript's text.

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Correspondence to Miriam Maria de Resende.

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Silva, J.G., da Silva, M.T., Dias, R.M. et al. Biolixiviation of Metals from Computer Printed Circuit Boards by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Bioremoval of Metals by Mixed Culture Subjected to a Magnetic Field. Curr Microbiol 80, 197 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-023-03307-y

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