The thesis deals with the current applications of biometallurgy, potential sources of rare metals and the interactions microbes have with them. Biometallurgical processes are carried out in bioleaching heaps, dumps and in bioreactors with the use of microorganisms, which autotrophically oxidize minerals and simultaneusly dissolve the metals contained within them, making their exraction much easier. Most biometallurgical processes are used to extract more common metals such as copper, however the increasing demand for rare metals could expand those processes to include their recovery. Various sources such as wastewater, electronic and industrial waste could be used to recover rare metals using biometallurgy.
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