Turning Low Quality Secondary Raw Materials into Biostimulants/Biofertilizers by Eco-Bioleaching Technology

The results connect the mining industry with agriculture through innovative biotechnology called “eco-bioleaching”. This technology transforms disused mining resources (sand from open pit mines, foundry sand) into biohelpers in an ecological way supporting the restoration of soil structure and features and stimulating of growth and health of plants. The quality of most of these resources is insufficient to meet potential market demands, so their use is increasingly rare and they remain as abandoned open pit mines. Here we see the need for a special innovative technology that increases the industrial value of the deposits and returns them to the circular economy. Eco-bioleaching of samples based on the activity of naturally occurring microbial consortia can produce leachate that can be used as a biostimulant/biofertilizer. Such a new generation of biostimulants/biofertilizers contains beneficial probiotic bacteria, organic acids, phytohormones, and dissolved micro- and macro-elements from non-metallic raw materials and wastes. The mined low-grade sands and used raw materials such as foundry sands represent input material for the biotechnological process and ultimately become part of the soil (earth) again, closing the cycle with positive effects for the local mining industry and agriculture.