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Bioleaching of copper and nickel from mobile phone printed circuit board using Aspergillus fumigatus A2DS

  • Environmental Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

The recovery of metals from electronic waste was investigated by using fungal strain Aspergillus fumigatus A2DS, isolated from the mining industry wastewater. Fifty-seven percent of copper and 32% of nickel were leached (analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES)) by the organism after one-step leaching at a temperature of 30 °C (shaking condition for 7 days). Maximum % of copper and nickel were obtained at a pH of 6 (58.7% Cu and 32% Ni), the temperature of 40 °C (61.8% Cu and 27.07% Ni), a pulp density of 0.5% (62% Cu and 42.37% Ni), and inoculums of 1% (58% Cu and 32.29% Ni). The XRD pattern of PCB showed 77.6% of copper containing compounds. XRD analysis of the leachate residue showed only 23.2% Euchorite (ASCu2H7O8) and 9.4% other copper containing compounds, indicating the leaching property of the fungus. HPLC analysis of the spent medium showed the presence of different acids like citric, succinic, and fumaric acid. The FTIR spectrum showed a decrease in carboxylic stretching in the leachate produced after bioleaching using spent medium. ICPOES of the leachate obtained using spent medium showed that 61% of the copper and 35% of nickel were leached out after seven days of incubation at shaking condition and 57% of copper and 32.8% of nickel at static condition confirming acidolysis property of the strain. A. fumigatus A2DS metal absorption and adsorption ability were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) respectively. The results thus indicate that bioleaching of Cu and Ni is bioleached by A. fumigatus A2DS.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Gujarat Council on Science and Technology (GUJCOST), Gujarat, India, for the project Grant. We are also thankful to Kadi Sarva Vishwavidyalaya for providing the laboratory facilities and support to carry out this work and also to SICART, Gujarat, for helping us in carrying out a different analysis like ICP-OES, FTIR, XRD, TEM, SEM, and particle size analysis. Different mine effluent samples were collected by Richa Solanki and a special thanks to her also.

Funding

This study is supported by the Gujarat Council On Science And Technology (GUJCOST), Gujarat, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, SMMPISR, Kadi Sarva Vishwavidyalaya, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382015, India

    Falguni Patel & B. Lakshmi

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  1. Falguni Patel
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  2. B. Lakshmi
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Correspondence to B. Lakshmi.

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Highlights

• Aspergillus fumigatus ability to leach metals from PCB of mobile phone has not been reported. The strain isolated showed genotypic differences from the already reported strains of Aspergillus fumigatus, so the isolates was named as Aspergillus fumigatus A2DS.

• Fifty-seven percent of copper and thirty-two percent of nickel were leached by the organism after one-step leaching at a temperature of 30 °C (shaking condition for 7 days). Effects of various factors like pH, temperature, inoculum %, and pulp density conditions were also analyzed. Maximum percentage of copper and nickel were obtained at a pH of 6 (58.7% Cu and 32% Ni), temperature of 40 °C (61.8% Cu and 27.7% Ni), a pulp density of 0.5% (62% Cu and 42.37% Ni), and inoculum of 1% (58% Cu and 32.29% Ni).

• ICP-OES of the leachate obtained using spent media (containing organic acids like citric acid, succinic acid, and fumaric acid, confirmed by HPLC and FTIR) indicate acidolysis of the metal. Sixty-one percent of the copper and 35% of nickel were leached out after seven days of incubation at shaking condition and 57% of copper and 32.8% of nickel at static condition confirming acidolysis property of the strain.

• The main highlight of the study is that the prolonged incubation of the strain until 30 days did not show much leaching ability. The variation in pH and biomass were noted throughout the 20 days. pH decreased up to the sixth day and there after the pH remained constant, confirming the correlation between acid metabolites and leaching.

• TEM and SEM–EDX of the residue obtained after leaching confirmed the ability to absorb and adsorb metals on the mycelium. Ten percent copper was adsorbed by the mycelium. Metals like copper and nickel were also absorbed and adsorbed by the fungal mycelium, which will provide an economical alternative for removing toxic heavy metals from industrial wastewater and aid in environmental remediation.

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Patel, F., Lakshmi, B. Bioleaching of copper and nickel from mobile phone printed circuit board using Aspergillus fumigatus A2DS. Braz J Microbiol 52, 1475–1487 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-021-00526-y

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