Biomining is the process of extraction of economically important metals like copper, gold, nickel and uranium by using microorganisms. This process plays a significant role in bioleaching and bio-oxidation. Bioleaching is used in the process of extraction of copper in which the insoluble metal is changed into soluble metal using microorganisms; whereas bio-oxidation is used for the extraction of gold. The high cost, energy demand and pollution of traditional mining techniques have kindled the interest in biomining technology in recent years.
Maddala Bhavana Haripriya
College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (695 522), India
Mihira J.*
Nandana V. Nair
Haripriya, M.B., Mihira, J., Nair, N.V., 2024. Biomining: The future smart-mining. Biotica Research Today 6(5), 287-289.
Sajjad, W., Zheng, G., Din, G., Ma, X., Rafiq, M., Xu, W., 2019. Metals extraction from sulfide ores with microorganisms: The bioleaching technology and recent developments. Transactions of the Indian Institute of Metals 72, 559-579. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12666-018-1516-4.