Chapter 14
Heavy Metal Extraction from E-Waste
Through Bioleaching: A Promising
Ecofriendly Approach
S. Venkatesa Prabhu , N. R. Srinivasan, and H. Sintayehu Mekuria
Abstract E-waste refers to waste from electronic devices and electrical appliances
that are widely discarded. It includes televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, air
conditioners, printers, cell phones, computers, and monitors. Currently, increasing
technological developments reduce the lifespan of electronic and electrical equipment. Hence, much more e-waste is being produced. Based on recent statistics, the
worldwide production of e-waste is increasing at a rate of 4.6% annually, and it is
expected to reach about 52.2 metric tons in 2021. Its processing produces a sludge
that is a great threat to the environment since it contains numerous toxic heavy
metals. For environmental protection, physical methods have been extensively
implemented by some enterprises that dismantle e-waste. The alkali and acid
reagents used to extract metals from e-waste are quite costly. However, research
communities globally are focusing on bio-hydrometallurgical techniques to treat
e-waste for ecofriendly treatment and safe disposal. Although several treatment
techniques are applied to leach heavy metals from e-wastes, this chapter focuses
on bacterial leaching, colloquially called bioleaching. This method is proven and can
be effectively applied for leaching heavy metals from e-waste. Three sections are
developed in this chapter. First, the sources of various e-wastes and their heavy metal
contents are examined. Second, the specific microorganisms that can be applied for
bioleaching processes are discussed. Last, the optimal conditions, bioleaching
mechanisms, and influences are presented.
Keywords Acidophilic bacteria · Bioleaching · Bio-solubilization · Detoxification ·
E-wastes · Heavy metals
S. Venkatesa Prabhu (*) · N. R. Srinivasan · H. Sintayehu Mekuria
Department of Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. Aravind et al. (eds.), Strategies and Tools for Pollutant Mitigation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63575-6_14
291
Heavy Metal Extraction from E-Waste
Through Bioleaching: A Promising
Ecofriendly Approach
S. Venkatesa Prabhu , N. R. Srinivasan, and H. Sintayehu Mekuria
Abstract E-waste refers to waste from electronic devices and electrical appliances
that are widely discarded. It includes televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, air
conditioners, printers, cell phones, computers, and monitors. Currently, increasing
technological developments reduce the lifespan of electronic and electrical equipment. Hence, much more e-waste is being produced. Based on recent statistics, the
worldwide production of e-waste is increasing at a rate of 4.6% annually, and it is
expected to reach about 52.2 metric tons in 2021. Its processing produces a sludge
that is a great threat to the environment since it contains numerous toxic heavy
metals. For environmental protection, physical methods have been extensively
implemented by some enterprises that dismantle e-waste. The alkali and acid
reagents used to extract metals from e-waste are quite costly. However, research
communities globally are focusing on bio-hydrometallurgical techniques to treat
e-waste for ecofriendly treatment and safe disposal. Although several treatment
techniques are applied to leach heavy metals from e-wastes, this chapter focuses
on bacterial leaching, colloquially called bioleaching. This method is proven and can
be effectively applied for leaching heavy metals from e-waste. Three sections are
developed in this chapter. First, the sources of various e-wastes and their heavy metal
contents are examined. Second, the specific microorganisms that can be applied for
bioleaching processes are discussed. Last, the optimal conditions, bioleaching
mechanisms, and influences are presented.
Keywords Acidophilic bacteria · Bioleaching · Bio-solubilization · Detoxification ·
E-wastes · Heavy metals
S. Venkatesa Prabhu (*) · N. R. Srinivasan · H. Sintayehu Mekuria
Department of Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. Aravind et al. (eds.), Strategies and Tools for Pollutant Mitigation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63575-6_14
291