Bioremediation Technology for Sustainable Mining Waste Management

Extensive mining operations contributes to environmental pollution in large amounts thereby releasing a variety of heavy metals from mining activities to soil, water and air. The exposure to mining pollutants poses serious environmental problems and causes deformities in animals and humans. Mining is imperative globally and contributes greatly to the economic progression but simultaneously it has negative impacts on environment, human health and biodiversity which cannot be ignored. Mining activities have affected fresh water through heavy use of water in processing ore, and through water pollution from discharged mine effluent and seepage from tailings and waste rock impoundments. These activities have created inconsistencies in the ecosystems with devastating outcomes. The universal environmental complications require a greener solution underlying unity between the global environmental problems irrespective of their intricacy and executing solutions. Recovery and recycling of metals from tailings and secondary resources holds significant opportunity in the coming future as their applications are widespread in high-tech industries which are critical to modern society and sustainable development. Mining waste management requires technology based solution, with cost effective strategies for meeting the demands of developing countries. Bioremediation technology involves the use of native and indigenous microorganisms to degrade diverse environmental contaminants in a controlled environment. This method is considered as a natural, bio inspired, cost-effective and sustainable treatment approach for the remediation of mining polluted sites. Metal-solubilizing microorganisms are used in the bioleaching technique to recover and recycle precious metals from mining waste as a resource for the circular economy. The book will focus on numerous features of environmental sustainability, and more responsibly, will label the technologies and methods essential to overcome growing mining and mineral processing wastes. It will also describe the biotechnological methods, cutting-edge research, applications, and procedures required to safeguard sustainable mining waste management.