The key difference between biomining and bioleaching is that biomining is the technique of using prokaryotes or fungi to extract metals from minerals whereas bioleaching is the technique of using bacteria to extract metals from minerals.
There are several different methods that can use to extract metals from their ore or mineral wastes. Most of these techniques use chemical reagents for this extraction. Therefore, harmful byproducts and harmful effects on the environment is a common issue with this technique. Biomining and bioleaching are techniques that are used to extract metals from their ore by means of living organisms.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Biomining
3. What is Bioleaching
4. Side by Side Comparison – Biomining vs Bioleaching in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Biomining?
Biomining is a technique we can use to extract metals from their ore using prokaryotes and fungi. Therefore, this is a biological treatment method that uses living organisms. In this process, microorganisms secrete organic compounds that can chelate the metals in the metal ore. Thereafter, they tend to uptake the coordinate complex along with the chelated metal into the cell of the microorganism. Some microorganisms can utilize metal ions such as iron, copper, zinc, gold, etc. Sometimes, we can observe some microorganisms uptake, even unstable metals, such as uranium and thorium.
Figure 01: Copper Mining
Compared to typical mining, which releases harmful or toxic byproducts to the environment, biomining is a very environmentally friendly technique. The byproducts that are released from biomining are metabolites and gases that the microorganisms produce. These microorganisms can be used again and again.
Figure 02: Gold Heap Leaching
The most common application of biomining is gold mining. We can find gold in nature associated with other minerals which contain arsenic and pyrite. Here, microorganisms can dissolve pyrite minerals using their secretions and, in this process, gold is released. As a very important factor about biomining is that it is important to remove toxic heavy metals from nature.
What is Bioleaching?
Bioleaching is the method of extraction of metals from their ore using living organisms such as bacteria. So, this technique is much cleaner and environmentally friendly than the typical heap leaching method which uses cyanide. This method is very important in extracting metals such as copper, zinc, lead, arsenic, antimony, nickel, etc.
A common example is pyrite mineral leaching. This process involves various iron-sulfur oxidizing bacteria species. Generally, the process of bioleaching includes an initiating step in which ferric ions are used to oxidize the metal ore. Here, ferric ions are reduced to ferrous ions. This step does not involve microbes. Therefore, bacteria are used for further oxidation of the metal ore. There, bacteria are used to oxidize sulfur and iron in the metal ore.
What is the Difference Between Biomining and Bioleaching?
Biomining and bioleaching are techniques used to extract metals from their ore by means of living organisms. The key difference between biomining and bioleaching is that biomining is the technique of using prokaryotes or fungi to extract metals from minerals whereas bioleaching is the technique of using bacteria to extract metals from minerals.
Below infographic summarizes the difference between biomining and bioleaching.
Summary – Biomining vs Bioleaching
Biomining and bioleaching are techniques that are used to extract metals from their ore by the means of living organisms. The key difference between biomining and bioleaching is that biomining is the technique of using prokaryotes or fungi to extract metals from minerals whereas bioleaching is the technique of using bacteria to extract metals from minerals.
Reference:
1. “Biomining.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Aug. 2019, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Mina de Chuquicamata, Calama, Chile, 2016-02-01, DD 110-112 PAN” By Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Gold heap leaching” By (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
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