Abstract
Biotechnology relevant to gold exploration, mining, recovery, and waste disposal is illustrated with respect to microbiological aspects of gold mineralization, biooxidation of refractory sulfide ores and concentrates, cyanide-free gold dissolution, and biodegradation of cyanide containing effluents. Current industrial status of technological innovations in the bioreactor processing and heap bioleaching of refractory sulfide ores and concentrates are discussed. Biodetoxification and degradation of cyanides in waste tailings and waters are critically analyzed with examples from industrial practice. Prospects for direct biodissolution of gold are brought out. Recovery of gold from spent leach cyanide solutions and electronics wastes is examined. Bright future prospects for biotechnology in gold exploration, mining, extraction, and waste disposal are emphasized.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Adams, M. D. (2016). Advances in gold ore processing-project development and operations (2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Akcil, A. (2003). Destruction of cyanide in gold mill effluents, biological versus chemical treatments. Biotechnology Advances, 21, 501–511.
Akcil, A., & Mudder, T. (2003). Microbial destruction of cyanide wastes in gold mining: Process review. Biotechnology Letters, 25, 445–450.
Amankwah, R. K., Yen, W. T., & Ramsay, J. A. (2005). A two-stage bacterial ore treatment process for double refractory gold ore. Minerals Engineering, 18, 103–108.
Balakrishnan, M., Modak, J. M., Natarajan, K. A., & Gururaj Naik, J. S. (1994). Biological uptake of precious and base metals from gold-process cyanide effluents. Minerals & Met. Processing, 11, 197–202.
Beckman, S., & Thompson, L. (2004). BioLix-an alternative to cyanide for the extraction of precious metals from ore. In Bac-min conference, Victoria (pp. 107–112).
Bhakta, P., & Arthur, B. (2002). Heap bio-oxidation and gold recovery at Newmont mining: First-year results. JOM, 54, 31–34.
Boon, M., & Heijin, J. J. (1998). Gas-liquid mass transfer phenomenon in biooxidation experiments of sulfide minerals: A critical review of literature data. Hydrometallurgy, 48, 187–204.
Botz, M. M., Mudder, T. I., & Akcil, A. (2016). Cyanide treatment: Physical, chemical and biological processes. In M. D. Adams (Ed.), Advances in gold ore processing (Chap. 35, pp. 619–644). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Brierley, J. A. (2003). Response of microbial systems to thermal strees in biooxidation-heap pretreatment of refractory gold ores. Hydrometallurgy, 71, 13–19.
Brierley, C. L., & Brierley, J. A. (2013). Progress in bioleaching: part B: Applications of microbial processes by the minerals industries. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 97, 7543–7552.
Brierley, J. A., & Kulpa, C. F. (1992). Microbial consortium treatment of refractory precious metal ores, USA, 5,127,942, 07 July 1992.
Campbell, S. C., Olson, G. J., Clark, T. R., & McFeters, G. (2001). Biogenic production of cyanide and its application to gold recovery. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, 26, 134–139.
Cui, J., & Zhang, L. (2008). Metallurgical recovery of metals from electronic waste—A review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 158, 228–256.
Cyanide-free biocatalyzed leaching of gold and silver ore. www.yestech.com/tech/gold1.htm.
Dement’ev, V. E., & Vojloshnikov, G. I. (2011). Ingiredmet experience on gold biometallurgy. In G. Qiu, T. Jiang, Q. Qin, K. Liu, Y. Yang & H. Wang (Eds.), Proceedings of the 19th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, (pp. 818–820), Changsha, China.
Gahan, C. S., Srichandan, H., Kim, D. J., & Akcil, A. (2012). Biohydrometallurgy and biomineral processing technology: A review on its past, present and future. Research Journal of Recent Science, 1, 85–99.
Gericke, M. (2012) Review of the role of microbiology in the design and operation of heap bioleaching processes. Journal of South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 112.
Gericke, M., & Pinches, A. (2006). Microbial production of gold nanoparticles. Gold Bulletin, 39, 22–28.
Gericke, M., Neale, J. W., & van Staden, P. J. (2009). A Mintek perspective of the past 25 years in minerals bioleaching. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 109, 567–585.
Groudev, S. N., Spasova, I. I., & Ivanov, I. M. (1996). A combined chemical and biological heap leaching of an oxide gold-bearing ore. Minerals Engineering, 9, 707–713.
Harvey, T. J., & Bath, M. (2007). The geobiotics geocoat technology-progress and challenges. In D. E. Rawlings & D. B. Johnson (Eds.), Biomining (pp. 97–112). Springer: Berlin.
Harvey, T. J., Merwe, W. V. D., & Afewu, K. (2002). The application of the GeoBiotics GEOCOAT ® biooxidation technology for the treatment of sphalerite at Kumba resources’ Rosh Pinah mine. Minerals Engineering, 15, 823–829.
Huddy, R. J., Kantor, R., Zyl, A. W. V., Hille, R. P. V., Banfield, J., & Harrison, S. T. L. (2015a). Analysis of the microbial community associated with a bioprocess system for remediation of thiocyanate and cyanide-laden mine water effluents. Advanced Material Research, 1130, 614–617.
Huddy, R. J., Zyl, A. W. V., Van Hille, R. P., & Harrison, S. T. L. (2015b). Characterization of the complex microbial community associated with the ASTER thiocyanate biodegradation system. Minerals Engineering, 76, 65–71
Hunter, R. M., Stewart, F. M., Darsow, T., Fogelsong, M. L., Mogk, D. W., Abbott, E. H., et al. (1998). New alternative to cyanidation: Biocatalyzed bisulfide leaching. Mineral Procesing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 19, 183–197.
Kadlec, B. H., & Wallace, S. D. (2008). Treatment of wetlands, CRC Press.
Kaksonen, A., Mudunuru, B. M., & Hack, R. (2014). The role of microorganisms in gold processing and recovery—A review. Hydrometallurgy, 142, 70–83.
Karthikeyan, O. P., Rajasekar, A., & Balasubramanian, R. (2015). Bio-oxidation and bio-cyanidation of refractory mineral ores for gold extraction: A review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 45, 1611–1643.
Kashefi, K., Tor, J. M., Nevin, K. P., & Loveley, D. R. (2001). Reductive precipitation of gold by assimilatory Fe(III)—reducing bacteria and archaea. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 67, 3275–3279.
Kenney, P. L., Zhen, S., Bunker, B. A., & Fein, J. B. (2012). An experimental study of Au removal from solution by non-metabolizing bacterial cells and their exudates. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 87, 51–60.
Khamar, Z., Kakhki, A. M., & Gharaie, M. H. M. (2015). Remediation of cyanide from the gold mine tailing pond by a novel bacterial co-culture. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation, 99, 123–128.
Kuyucak, N., & Akcil, A. (2013). Cyanide and removal options from effluents in gold mining and metallurgical processes. Minerals Engineering, 50–51, 13–29.
Liang, C. J., Li, J. Y., & Ma, C. J. (2014). Review on cyanogenic bacteria for gold recovery from e-waste. Advanced Materials Research, 878, 355–367.
Liu, Q., Yang, H., Tong, L., Jin, Z., & Sand, W. (2016a). Fungal degradation of elemental carbon in carbonaceous gold ore. Hydrometallurgy, 160, 90–97.
Liu, R., Li, J., & Ge, Z. (2016). Review on Chromobacterium violaceum for gold bioleaching from E. Waste. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 31, 947–953.
Logan, T. C., Seal, T., & Brierley, J. A. (2007). Whole ore heap biooxidation of sulfidic gold-bearing ores. In D. E. Rawlings & D. B. Johnson (Eds.), Biomining (pp. 113–138). Berlin: Springer.
Makhotla, N., van Buuren, C., & Olivier, J. W. (2010). The aster process: Technology development through to piloting, demonstration and commercialization. www.biomin.co.za/pdf/2010aster.
Miller, P. C. (2000). Potential methods for reducing cyanide consumption for bacterial oxidation residues, Internal Document. BacTech Corp.
Miller, P., & Brown, A. (2005). Bacterial oxidation of refractory gold concentrates. Advances in gold ore processing, 15, 371–402. Elsevier.
Miller, B. P., & Brown, A. R. G. (2014). Bacterial oxidation of refractory gold concentrates. In Adams, M. D. (Ed.), Gold ore processing, project development and operations, p. 359. Elsevier
Mudder, T. I., Botz, M. M., & Smith, A. (2001). Chemistry and treatment of cyanidation wastes (pp. 239–281). London: Mining Journal Books Ltd.
Natarajan, K. A. (1992). Bioprocessing for enhanced gold recovery. Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Review, 8, 143–153.
Natarajan, K. A. (1993). Biotechnology in gold processing. Bulletin of Materials Science, 16, 501–508.
Natarajan, K. A. (1998). Microbes, Minerals and Environment. (Bangalore): Geological Survey of India.
Natarajan, K. A. (2018). Biotechnology for gold mining, extraction and waste control. In Biotechnology of metals: Principles, recovery methods and environmental concerns, pp 179–210. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Neale, J. W., Gericke, M., & Ramcharan, K. (2011). The application of bioleaching to base metal sulfides in southern Africa: Prospects and opportunities. In 6th Southern African Base Metals Conference South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Niekerk J. V. (2012). Recent advances in the BIOX technology, Newsletter (from WEB).
Olivier, J. W., & Jardine, J. G. (2014). Application of BIOX GIII- Principles during Runruno BIOX plant development, MINEX, MOXCOW, 7–9 Oct 2014.
Olson, G. J., Brierley, J. A., & Brierley, C. L. (2003). Bioleaching review part B: Progress in bioleaching: Applications of microbial processes by the minerals industries. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 63, 249–257.
Outotec Aster Process. http://www.ontotec.com/products/leaching-and-solution-purification/aster-process.
Rawlings, D. E. (1997). Biomining: Theory, microbes and industrial processes. Springer.
Rea, M. A., Zammit, C. M., & Reith, F. (2016). Bacterial biofilms on gold grains-implications for geomicrobial transformations of gold. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 92, 1–11.
Reith, F. (2002). Interactions of microorganisms with gold in regolith materials from a gold mine near mogo in south eastern New South Wales. In I. C. Roach (Ed.), Regolith and landscapes in Eastern Australia (pp. 107–110).
Reith, F., Lengke, M. F., Falconer, D., Craw, D., Southam, G. (2007a). The geomicrobiology of gold. The ISME Journal, 1, 1–18
Reith, F., Rogers, S. L., McPhail, K. C., & Brugger, J. (2007b). Potential for the utilization of microorganisms in gold processing. In World gold conference, Cairns, Australia.
Reith, F., Brugger, J., Zammit, C. M., Nies, D. H., & Southam, G. (2013). Geobiological cycling of gold: From fundamental process understanding to exploration solutions. Minerals, 3, 367–394.
Roberto, F. F. (2017). Commercial biooxidation of refractory gold ores-Revisiting Newmont’s successful deployment at Carlin. Minerals Engineering, 106, 2–6.
Shin, D., Jeong, J., Lee, S., Pandey, B. D., & Lee, J. C. (2013). Evaluation of bioleaching factors on gold recovery from ore by cyanide-producing bacteria. Minerals Engineering, 48, 20–24.
Shuster, J., & Reith, F. (2018). Reflecting on gold geomicrobiology research: Thoughts and considerations for future endeavours. Minerals, 8(9), 1–12.
Steyn, B., & Benewoe, V. (2009) A practical example of recovery improvements in a bacterial oxidation plant. In World gold conference, 2009, South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Thompson, L. C., & MacCulloch, J. R. F. (2004). Biological process for gold recovery. In Bac-Min Conference, Victoria.
Van Aswegen, P. C., Niekerk, J. V., & Olivier, W. (2007). The BIOXâ„¢ process for the treatment of refractory gold concentrates. In D. E. Rawlings & D. B. Johnson (Eds.), Biomining. Berlin: Springer.
Van Niekerk, J. (2009). Recent advances in BIOX technology. In Hydrometallurgy conference 2009. Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Van Niekerk, J., Olivier, W., & Van Buuren, C. Complete refractory gold solutions, (from Web: c/users/DELL/Downloads/paper%20(#1).pdf)
Veert, G., & Kroes, P. J. (1993). Development of the delft inclined plate (DIP) bioreactor. Minerals Engineering, 6(8–10), 991–999.
Watling, H. R. (2006). The bioleaching of sulfide minerals with emphasis on copper sulfides—A review. Hydrometallurgy, 84, 81–108.
Whitlock, J. L., & Smith, G. R. (1989). Operation of Homestakes cyanide biodegradation wastewater system based on multi-variable trend analysis. In W. Y. Jackson (Ed.), Proceedings of the 8th international symposium on biohydrometallurgy (pp. 613–625), CANMET, Ottawa.
Yang, H., Liu, Q., Song, X., & Dong, J. (2013). Research status of carbonaceous matter in carbonaceous gold ores and bio-oxidation pretreatment. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 23, 3405–3411.
Yen, W. T., Amankwah, R. K., & Choi, Y. (2009). Microbial pretreatement of double refractory ore. US 2009/0158893A1 [P] 2009-06-25.
Zammit, C. M., Cook, N., Brugger, J., Ciobanu, C. L., & Reith, F. (2012). The future of biotechnology for gold exploration and processing. Minerals Engineering, 32, 45–53.
Acknowledgements
The author is thankful to the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) for Honorary Scientist Contingency grant.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Natarajan, K.A. (2019). Biotechnology for Environmentally Benign Gold Production. In: Pogaku, R. (eds) Horizons in Bioprocess Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29069-6_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29069-6_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-29068-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-29069-6
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)