Assessment of Biological Treatments to Remediate Cyanide Heap-Leached Ore

摘要

A new gold rush is taking place in the American Southwest, due in large part toimprovements in the processes that use cyanide to extract gold from low-grade ore deposits. Along with increased gold production, however, has come an increase in cyanide contamination of surface and groundwater in areas affected by gold mining. The objective of the study was to determine the potential for bioremediation of total (free and complexed) cyanide in heap-leached ore. Two methods, including the addition of a carbon amendment and/or cyanide degrading microorganisms to cyanide heap-leached ore, were evaluated with regard to their influence on loss of total cyanide in microcosm studies.