Bio-Recovery of Precious Metals from Waste

Dear Colleagues,

Metals have always played an important part in civilisations, and have been linked with industrial development and improved living standards, but the global demand for metals is increasing continuously. Whereas society can draw on metal resources from Earth's crust as well as from discarded metals, inefficient recovery methods are unsustainable as they increase reliance on primary resources, with associated impact on the environment. As an increasing number of metals are being identified as critical raw materials, sustainable metal supply requires efficient and ecological technologies together with strategy and policy packages based on a sound scientific understanding of anticipated long-term demand, supply, and associated environmental implications.

Secondary sources include metals contained in consumer products and recycled metal scrap that remains within the industry. With the continuous increase in metal use, the recovery has to become more efficient, and needs to include clean scrap generated within downstream industries and consumer waste. Improved technology, instrumentation and sorting systems should focus on enabling waste processors to increase specificity, reduce the loss of properties and increase the throughput of metals for their existing and new supply chains.

This topic intends to bring together novel sustainable processes for the biorecovery of metals, including, but not limited to, metal solubilisation, recovery of solubilised metals, product purification and closed-loop recycling systems. Bioprocesses involving microbiological activity, such as bioleaching and biosorption to recover solubilised metals, are of special interest. This issue aims to demonstrate how innovative research for the bio-recovery of metals from secondary sources, which include urban mining but also dross, dusts from metals producers and sludges generated from metal-using industries, can achieve sustainable waste management for the benefit of the environment, while promoting global economy growth.

Prof. Dr. Sebastien Farnaud
Dr. Eva Pakostova
Topic Editors