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Integrated bioleaching of copper metal from waste printed circuit board—a comprehensive review of approaches and challenges

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Abstract

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) is the most rapidly growing waste stream in the world, and the majority of the residues are openly disposed of in developing countries. Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) make up the major portion of e-waste, and their informal recycling can cause environmental pollution and health risks. Furthermore, the conventional disposal and recycling techniques—mechanical treatments used to recover valuable metals, including copper—are not sustainable in the long term. Chemical leaching is rapid and efficient but causes secondary pollution. Bioleaching is a promising approach, eco-friendly and economically feasible, but it is slower process. This review considers the recycling potential of microbes and suggests an integrated bioleaching approach for Cu extraction and recovery from WPCBs. The proposed recycling system should be more effective, efficient and both technically and economically feasible.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Key Technologies R&D Program (2014BAC03B04) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21177069, 71373141).

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  1. State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Rm. 805, Sino-Italian Environment and Energy Efficient Building, Beijing, 100084, China

    Abhishek Kumar Awasthi, Xianlai Zeng & Jinhui Li

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  1. Abhishek Kumar Awasthi
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  2. Xianlai Zeng
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  3. Jinhui Li
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Correspondence to Jinhui Li.

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Awasthi, A.K., Zeng, X. & Li, J. Integrated bioleaching of copper metal from waste printed circuit board—a comprehensive review of approaches and challenges. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 21141–21156 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7529-9

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