Bioleaching of heavy metals from red mud using Aspergillus niger

• We examined the biological leaching efficiency of heavy metals from red mud.
• Three different bioleaching methods were compared in our research.
• Spent medium process is proposed to be the best option for bioleaching of red mud.
• The leaching toxicity of red mud decreased obviously after bioleaching.
• The micromorphology of red mud particles was changed by fungus activity.

Red mud (bauxite residue) is the main waste product of the alkaline extraction of alumina from bauxite with high amounts of metals. In this study, bioleaching of heavy metals from red mud by using the fungus Aspergillus niger was investigated. Bioleaching experiments were examined in batch cultures with the red mud at various pulp densities (1–5%, w/v) under various bioleaching conditions (one-step, two-step and spent medium bioleaching). It was shown that the main lixiviant excreted by A. niger was citric acid. The highest leaching ratios of most various heavy metals were achieved under spent medium leaching at 1% pulp density. The increase in red mud pulp densities resulted in a general decrease in leaching ratios under all bioleaching conditions. However, in the case of the spent medium leaching the decrease in leaching ratios was lowest. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) tests showed that the leaching toxicity of the bioleaching residue was far below the levels of relevant regulations. The micromorphology of the red mud particles were changed by the fungal activity during bioleaching process.