Summary

This review describes the technical and engineering aspects of biotechnology in mining, including mineral processing and ore extraction. Also described are the role of bacterial and biotechnology processes in acid rock and acid mine drainage, leaching of base metals, groundwater remediation, contaminant treatment, and heap leaching.

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INTRODUCTION

Biotechnology is the use of living organisms or their products for commercial purposes. Biotechnology has many potential applications in the mining industry including metal leaching, metal recovery, impurity removal and product upgrading, treatment of acid rock drainage and other uses for environmental control.

Commercial applications include processing of refractory gold concentrates to release gold for conventional recovery and the bioleaching of copper in heap and dump leach operations. Commercial application of stirred tank bioleaching for the recovery of copper has also developed rapidly in recent years with the installation of very large bioreactors.