Application of biohydrometallurgical processes for heavy metals removal from acid mine drainage

The main scope of this study was to remediate Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) by application of biohydrometallurgical processes, environmentally friendly, to remove heavy metals such as Zn, Cu, Mn, Cd, Al and Fe. The processes studied have been electrowinning and bioprecipitation. The samples utilised were collected from the zinc mine located in Italy and from a cooper – iron ore deposit in Slovakia. By electrochemical experiments, high metals removal, with a low energetic consumption, has been achieved: in particular, by Zn electrodeposition, it was possible to achieve 95-99% Zn removal. Culture of sulphatereducing bacteria (SRB) of genera Desulfovibrio sp. was used for the bioprecipitation tests. The precipitation kinetic of metals at the original pH of aforementioned AMD by SRB has been investigated. This method has been performed in two interconnected reactors. Achieved results indicate the 98-99% selective elimination of Cd from AMD - Italian mine, and the 98-99% selective elimination of Cu from AMD - Slovak mine by bacterially produced H2S. Both the electrowinning and bioprecipitation processes have been demonstrated the technical feasibility to decrease the heavy metals concentration. The experimental work has been carried out in the framework of the agreement of scientific cooperation between the Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering of the CNR, Italy and the Institute of Geotechnics of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia (years 2007-2009).