Selective recovery of soil-borne metal contaminants through integrated solubilization by biogenic sulfuric acid and precipitation by biogenic sulfide

► Biosolubilization-bioprecipitation can selectively recover soil-borne heavy metals. ► Two-step soil acidification results in an enhanced metal pollutants solubilization. ► Two-stage precipitation presents good selective metals separation from soil leachate. ► This combined process recovers 75% of Cu and 86% of Zn from the soil as CuS and ZnS.