Bacterial Metal Accumulation as a Strategy for Waste Recycling Management

Denise Kölbi, Alma Memic, Holger Schnideritsch, Dominik Wohlmuth, Gerald Klösch, Mihaela Albu and Tetyana Milojevic ()
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Denise Kölbi: Exobiology Group, CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, University of Orléans, Rue Charles Sadron, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orléans, France
Alma Memic: Exobiology Group, CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, University of Orléans, Rue Charles Sadron, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orléans, France
Holger Schnideritsch: Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Dominik Wohlmuth: Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Gerald Klösch: Voestalpine Stahl Donawitz GmbH, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Mihaela Albu: Graz Centre for Electron Microscopy, 8010 Graz, Austria
Tetyana Milojevic: Exobiology Group, CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, University of Orléans, Rue Charles Sadron, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orléans, France

Resources, 2023, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: Sustainable mechanisms for efficient and circular metal recycling have yet to be uncovered. In this study, the metal recycling potential of seven metal-resistant bacterial species ( Deinococcus radiodurans , Deinococcus aerius , Bacillus coagulans , Pseudomonas putida , Staphylococcus rimosus , Streptomyces xylosus and Acidocella aluminiidurans ) was investigated in a multi-step strategy, which comprises bioleaching of industrial waste products and subsequent biosorption/bioaccumulation studies. Each species was subjected to an acidic, multi-metal bioleachate solution and screened for potential experimental implementation. Bacterial growth and metal acquisition were examined using scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled to electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDS). Two of the seven screened species, D. aerius and A. aluminiidurans , propagated in a highly acidic and metal-laden environment. Both accumulated iron and copper compounds during cultivation on a multi-metallic bioleachate. Our findings suggest that extremotolerant bacteria should be considered for waste recycling operations due to their inherent polyextremophily. Furthermore, STEM-EDS is a promising tool to investigate microbial–metal interactions in the frames of native industrial waste products. To develop further experimental steps, detailed analyses of adsorption/accumulation mechanisms in D. aerius and A. aluminiidurans are required to design a circular metal recycling procedure.

Keywords: extremophiles; bioleaching; steel waste; metal recycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jresou:v:12:y:2023:i:12:p:144-:d:1296655

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