Authors : P. I. Ohagim; J. C. Orji; I. E. Adieze; E. C. Chinakwe

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 11 - November

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2dufhseu

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/3n975ucb

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25nov1461

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Microbial recovery of metals from printed circuit boards of electronic waste using Providencia manganoxydans and Pseudomonas fluorescens was assessed. Providencia manganoxydans was isolated from coal mine drain while Pseudomonas spp. was isolated from soil. The setup for solubilization comprises of waste printed circuit boards of particle size 50 μm, suspended in nutrient broth in conical flasks. P. fluorescens and P. manganoxydans isolates were added to the respective flasks with (NH4)2SO4 and NPK added as sources of nitrogen. The setup was incubated at ambient temperature for 24 days. The total nitrogen, pH, ORP, available phosphorus, and solubilization of metals (copper, nickel and zinc), were determined at days 0, 8, 16 and 24. Results obtained showed that at the end of the 24th day, the percentage solubilization of metals by P. manganoxydans with (NH4)2SO4 as nitrogen source was 89% for copper, 74% for nickel and 75% for zinc, while the percentage metal solubilization of P. fluorescens with NPK was 77% for copper, 80% for nickel and 74% for zinc and with (NH4)2SO4 was 74% for copper, 66% for zinc and 70% for nickel. The recovery of the metals from the solution was carried out using precipitation methods with NH3(aq), HCl(aq) and 0.5M K4Fe(CN)6 for zinc precipitation, K4Fe(CN)6 for copper precipitation, and with NH3(aq) and dimethylglyoxime (DMG) reagent for solubilized nickel precipitation. The results show that the isolates can effectively solubilize copper, nickel and zinc from e-waste. As the surge in global electronic waste continues to pose a threat to the environment and ecosystem, microbial solubilization with P. manganoxydans and P. fluorescens for metals recovery represents an efficient approach to metal extraction from e-waste. It offers a greener, cost- effective, and efficient alternative to conventional metal recovery methods. It holds great promise for the future management of e-waste through metal resource bio-recovery.

Keywords : Bio-Solubilization of Metals, E-Waste, Metal Resource Bio-Recovery.

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