Sulfate Reducing Bacteria: A Way Forward Towards Sustainable Mining

Abstract

Mineral exploitation and mining are expanding with increasing industrialization, and as exploitation increases, so will their enormous environmental impact. The biological technique was found to be a suitable alternative for treating mine wastes and recovering toxic heavy metals. Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) or Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) is the most wellknown mining waste laden with heavy metals that remains untreated. Microorganisms help in detoxification and thereby facilitate the extraction of pollutants from mine waste. Sulfate Reducing Bacteria (SRB), among all known microorganisms, play an important role in mine waste treatment by neutralizing acidity and reviving alkalinity. The use of microorganisms in treating overburden dumps helps reduce the amount of waste, augment natural resources via metal recovery, and maintain a healthy environment. Such a technique picks up momentum due to its low cost, easy availability of ingredients, and eco-friendly nature. Such a treatment system may or may not be capable of removing toxicity. Therefore, it is advisable to use the same along with other techniques depending upon site conditions, the nature of the deposit, and the availability of essential requisites. This paper attempted to highlight potential thrust areas requiring this technique as well as limiting factors.