Abstract

Platinum and the Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) play a vital role in industry today and in the emerging technologies of tomorrow. The PGMs are typically considered rarer than most base metals and with increased limited resource, political instability and the ever-growing climate crisis, the need for recycling these precious metals has never been greater. Traditional bioleaching technologies have been used in the mining industry since the 1940s, but due to the inert nature of the PGMs these methods of metal solubilization are considered insufficient for efficient recovery. In the quest for greener and more sustainable recycling methods, other biotechnical processes using cyanogenic bacteria and/or fungal species may provide these sustainable needed alternatives. This short review provides an insight into some emerging microbiological strategies, their advantages and limitations.

Keywords:PGM; Platinum; Bacteria; Bioleaching; Fungus; Recycling, Sustainability