Influence of Bacterial Culture to Copper Bioleaching from Printed Circuit Boards

Summary Copper bioleaching from printed circuit boards (PCBs) by acidophilic bacteria of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and mixed bacterial culture of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans was investigated. The bacteria were isolated from the acid mine drainage in Smolnik in Slovakia, grown and acclimated in the presence of PCB waste and consequently were used as bioleaching bacteria to solubilize copper from PCBs. The higher copper solubilization was mainly achieved by mixed bacterial culture. The higher copper bioleaching rate was observed in the first 14 days using mixed culture, when 60% of Cu bioleaching efficiency was achieved. In the case of the pure bacterial culture only 22% Cu was solubilized up to this day.