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Mineralogical and Geochemical Controls in Biomining and Bioremediation

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Geomicrobiology and Biogeochemistry

Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 39))

Abstract

The efficiency of biomining and bioremediation operations is dependent on mineralogy and geochemistry of the system, i.e., the substrate, which defines the conditions in which a certain microbial community can develop and catalyze the biogeochemical processes, thus increases the kinetics of the reactions, the main objective in a biomining operation. However, many of the so-called biomining and bioremediation operations lack a thorough mineralogical, geochemical, and microbial community characterization during the process operations. Thus, many of these biomining operations become mainly acid leach operations with low recoveries and do not take advantage the enormous potential for bioleaching process improvements. Similarly in bioremediation, the mineralogy and the potential changes of the geochemical system due to microbial interaction controls the stability and mobility of certain potential environmental pollutants. Thus, in biomining and bioremediation areas a thorough knowledge of the mineralogy and geochemistry is required for the effective operation of these systems. The key process parameters that affect process efficiency and reaction kinetics and strategies for process improvement are discussed in this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SUMIRCO.EIRL Bernhard Dold Sustainable Mining Research & Consult., EIRL Casilla 28, 4130000, San Pedro de la Paz, Chile

    Bernhard Dold

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  1. Bernhard Dold
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Correspondence to Bernhard Dold .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry & Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Nagina Parmar

  2. Lystek International Inc., Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

    Ajay Singh

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Dold, B. (2014). Mineralogical and Geochemical Controls in Biomining and Bioremediation. In: Parmar, N., Singh, A. (eds) Geomicrobiology and Biogeochemistry. Soil Biology, vol 39. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41837-2_7

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