A Systematic Literature Review of Treatment Approaches with Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria for Acid Mine Drainage

Abstract

The use of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) has emerged as a promising technology to treat Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). These bacteria can reduce sulfate to sulfide under anaerobic conditions and the sulfide formed can react with metal ions in water, creating insoluble precipitates. This paper systematically reviews the different treatment systems and approaches explored for applying SRB in AMD treatment. The review followed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology and included 16 articles published between 1995 and 2024. The main bacteria identified were Desulfosporosinus, Desulfovibrio, and Desulfotomaculum. Researchers used environmental samples of AMD and acidic solutions prepared in laboratory and most studies proposed bioreactors, although research on in situ bioremediation and permeable reactive barriers was also found. Sulfate reduction efficiencies ranged from 74.8% to 100.0% and the systems also showed high efficiency for removing metals and metalloids such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), arsenic (As), and mainly zinc (Zn). Advantages include efficiency, versatility, low cost compared to conventional treatments, possibility of using waste-derived resources as a carbon source for bacteria, and potential for the recovery of metals in a commercially viable form. The main challenges are related to sensitivity of the bacteria to acidic environments and high metal(loid) concentrations. Future studies should explore optimization of processes under different environmental conditions and treatment systems with environmental samples of AMD from different types of mining and locations. Nevertheless, significant advances have been made on the use of SRB for AMD treatment, making it a promising remediation technique.