Preliminary Bioleaching Experiment of E-Waste

Nowadays, we can hardly imagine our life without the achievements of modern technology, such as refrigerators, televisions, computers, or smartphones. Producers are pushing consumers to buy newer, more modern appliances instead of repairing the original ones. However, all the devices represent a huge amount of waste. E-waste is one of the fastest growing types of waste, and only less than a half of it is recycled. Its disposal poses a great challenge for the population and constitutes a huge burden for the environment. In the research described in this article, we focused on individual techniques for metals recovery from e-waste. In the experimental part, we deal with the recycling of electronic waste by bioleaching, using microorganisms Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. Compared to conventional techniques, bioleaching is a more environmentally friendly and economical alternative of metals recovery from e-waste.