A study in blue: mycomining of copper

Important results from the project

The purpose of the project was to investigate the ability of fungi to extract metals, and above all copper, from mine waste biologically. One subgoal was to identify fungi that can be used for metal extraction in scaled-up systems, and another subgoal was to construct a scaled-up prototype for biological metal extraction. Both sub-goals were achieved. MycoMine has isolates that are suitable for the purpose and a pilot that can handle up to 3 cubic meters of solid mine waste. The pilot is designed so that it can be scaled up as needed.

Expected long term effects

During the project, fungi have been isolated with the capacity to extract metal concentrations between 80-95% from mine waste. Copper, which is the focus of the study, can be extracted with 93%. Other metals such as lead, zinc and arsenic with 80-90%. The positive outcome means that MycoMine has developed a prototype in which metals can be extracted from mine waste biologically. The pilot system is designed so that it easily enables upscaling to current needs and can be used on both mine waste and contaminated soils to have the opportunity to meet two large markets with similar needs.

Approach and implementation

The work was divided into two parts: a laboratory phase, and a construction phase. In the first, fungi were isolated and screened against various metals to investigate their abilities with regard to extraction from minerals and leachate as well as concentration of metals in cells and biomineralizations. In the second part, a scaled-up prototype has been constructed with the aim to function in natural environments. The pilot system is designed to handle a total volume of 3 cubic meters. The laboratory work and construction of the pilot have proceeded in parallel to save time and costs.