Researchers at the Neutron Physics Laboratory of JINR have explored a remarkable capability of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to capture precious metals and potentially enable 100% silver purification of wastewater. This finding was highlighted by the institute’s press service through socialbites.ca.
Silver compounds are prevalent across medicine, the chemical industry, electroplating, jewelry making, and photography, among other sectors. Yet these compounds pose high toxicity to living organisms, and existing wastewater treatment methods often fall short in efficiency or incur high costs. Biosorption, which uses microorganisms to treat wastewater, stands out as a highly promising approach in this field.
In their study, JINR researchers examined how yeast interacts with silver ions in wastewater. The yeast biomass demonstrated a consistently strong adsorption capacity across three cycles of sorption and desorption. Coupled with this durability, the yeast’s robust biosorption performance and environmental safety suggest a practical, affordable, reusable biosorbent that is easy to deploy for treating large volumes of wastewater. This positions the yeast as a potential tool for sustainable metal recovery.
According to Inga Zinkovskaya, head of the Neutron Activation Analysis and Applied Research Sector at the JINR Neutron Physics Laboratory, the work points to a future where silver can be extracted from wastewater using microbial methods. This development is particularly relevant as global reserves of precious metals are pressured by dwindling mines and the limitations of conventional metal-removal techniques. The broader implication is that microbial technologies could expand to the extraction of silver, gold, platinum, and even certain rare earth elements, offering a greener and cheaper alternative for metal recovery.
The yeast maintained a high affinity for silver ions even at relatively high concentrations in solution, around 100 mg/L. Moreover, increasing temperature and longer contact time enhanced the binding efficiency, with the most favorable results observed in acidic environments where the pH is near three. The efficiency of silver ion removal ranged from 97% to 100%, underscoring the method’s strong potential for practical application.
Biosorption relies on the physicochemical interactions between metal ions and functional groups present on the cell surface. Earlier work by the same team demonstrated the effectiveness of this yeast in treating wastewater contaminated with other heavy metals such as nickel, copper, strontium, and barium, reinforcing its role as a versatile biosorbent across multiple contaminants.
In related work, researchers at Sechenov University have advanced non-invasive, painless approaches in medical procedures, illustrating a broader trend of leveraging biological agents and innovative techniques to address complex problems in health and environmental science.