Bioleaching of Typical Electronic Waste—Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs): A Short Review

Xiaosheng Ji, Mindong Yang, Anping Wan, Shaoqi Yu and Zhitong Yao
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Xiaosheng Ji: Cryogenic Center, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou 310015, China
Mindong Yang: China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, China
Anping Wan: Cryogenic Center, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou 310015, China
Shaoqi Yu: College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Zhitong Yao: College of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: The rapid pace of innovations and the frequency of replacement of electrical and electronic equipment has made waste printed circuit boards (WPCB) one of the fastest growing waste streams. The frequency of replacement of equipment can be caused by a limited time of proper functioning and increasing malfunctions. Resource utilization of WPCBs have become some of the most profitable companies in the recycling industry. To facilitate WPCB recycling, several advanced technologies such as pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and biometallurgy have been developed. Bioleaching uses naturally occurring microorganisms and their metabolic products to recover valuable metals, which is a promising technology due to its cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and sustainability. However, there is sparse comprehensive research on WPCB bioleaching. Therefore, in this work, a short review was conducted from the perspective of potential microorganisms, bioleaching mechanisms and parameter optimization. Perspectives on future research directions are also discussed.

Keywords: waste printed circuit boards; electronic waste; sulfur-oxidizing bacteria; biometallurgy; bioleaching mechanism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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