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Bioremediation of High-Concentration Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil by Combined Use of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Fe3O4–GO Anodes

Summary

Researchers developed a new system to clean soil contaminated with toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and chromium from electronic waste recycling areas. The system combines special bacteria with magnetized graphene-based electrodes that work together to remove up to 89% of zinc and other metals from polluted soil. This approach is more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional cleaning methods, offering hope for restoring contaminated sites.

Background

Soils contaminated with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as zinc, copper, lead, cadmium, and chromium pose significant environmental and health risks. Conventional remediation methods suffer from high energy consumption and secondary pollution risks. Bioelectrochemical systems offer a promising alternative by coupling microbial metabolism with electrochemical reactions.

Objective

This study developed a synergistic system combining Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans bacteria with Fe3O4–graphene oxide (Fe3O4–GO)-modified anodes to enhance the remediation of high-concentration PTE-contaminated soil from an e-waste recycling site.

Results

The full synergistic system achieved removal efficiencies of 89% for Zn, 85.89% for Cu, 66.3% for Pb, 77.89% for Cd, and 40.63% for Cr. Control groups lacking bacteria, current, or Fe3O4–GO showed significantly lower efficiencies, with bacteria-free treatment reducing Cr removal by more than 50%. The unmodified anode achieved only 1/3 to 1/2 of the full system’s efficiency.

Conclusion

The coupled integration of electrochemical enhancement, acidophilic microbial activity, and Fe3O4–GO catalysis provides an effective, energy-efficient approach for remediating soils with high PTE concentrations while minimizing secondary pollution risks. Future work should focus on pilot-scale validation and scalable electrode design for field applications.
  • Published in:Toxics,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.3390/toxics13110959
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