Bio-recycling of metals: Recycling of technical products using biological applications

The increasing demand of different metals as a consequence of the development of new technologies, especially in the so called “low carbon technologies” require the development of innovative technologies that enable an environmentally friendly metal recovery. Current recycling rates are very low due to the increasing complexicity of products and the low content of certain critical elements. Therefore efforts have to be done on efficient recycling methodologies in order to enable a circular economy. Modern biotechnologies can contribute to solve some of the problems related to metal recycling. These approaches use natural properties of organisms, bio-compounds, and biomolecules to interact with minerals, materials, metals, or metal ions such as surface attachment, mineral dissolution, transformation, and metal complexation. The article presents some recent developments in the fields of bioleaching, biosorption, bioreduction, and bioflotation and their use for metal recovery from electronic devices, waste material, and industrial effluents.