Bioaccumulation and Bioleaching of Cu, Pb, and Zn from Mining Waste

Abstract

The subject of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Aspergillus niger (Pezinok) and Neosartorya fischeri strains in bioleaching
and bioaccumulation of metals from mining waste from the Hodruša tailings pond. The waste used in the work contained 0.10 mm
fractions weighing 1 and 2 g from different depths of the soil matrix, samples A: 10–20 cm, samples B: 20–30 cm. We focused on the
elements copper, lead and zinc with the content of individual elements (mg/kg) copper – in samples A 487 mg/kg, in samples B 115
mg/kg. Lead – samples A 1208 mg/kg, samples B 582 mg/kg. Zinc – samples A 6970 mg/kg, samples B 6808 mg/kg. We confirmed
the effectiveness of the Aspergillus niger strain in this process due to the production of organic acids (citric acid, oxalic acid, acetic
acid). In the experimental part, we found that the most effective strain in determining the efficiency of extraction and concentration of
metals in the solution after bioleaching was the Aspergillus niger strain. The Neosartorya fischeri strain appears to be most effective in
accumulating metals in solution and accumulating metals in biomass. We can justify this phenomenon due to the different properties
of the cell walls of individual fungal strains and it is necessary to keep these differences in mind when comparing biosorption properties.