Biorecovery of heavy metals from waste waters and their valorization as biocatalysts

The biosorption of heavy metals (HM) by using specially selected microorganisms (heterotrophic bacteria or cyanobacteria) is one of the most promising technology due to its low cost, the short operational time, and the possibility to recover and reuse the biosorbed HM. This biotechnology is based on the exploitation of HM resistant bacteria to adsorb HM inside the cells or to bind them to the cell wall or to the exocellular polymeric substances attached to the cells. The few studies so far available at prototype level showed the effectiveness of these processes and the possibility to recover at a high level of purity the HM biosorbed. In this context, the Heavy Metal Bio-recovery and Valorization (HMBV) project is aimed at developing an innovative and eco-friendly biotechnology based on the exploitation of the microbial biosorption for removing HM from electroplating wastewaters and to convert the metal-binding biomass or the metal-bearing EPS into high value metal salts and/or metal-organic complexes with catalytic abilities. In addition to that, a reduction in the water footprint of the industrial process is expected thanks to the possible reuse of the treated waste waters in the production cycle