Fungal bioleaching of metals from industrial wastes

Industrial wastes and wastewaters are important secondary sources for many metals. Recovering these metals from such waste streams helps in resource recycling and reduce the environmental burden. Microbial technology offers an economical alternative to traditional metal recovery. Several bacterial and fungal species are reported for metal bioleaching from different industrial wastes. Use of fungi in bioleaching process offers a variety of advantages. The present study provides an overview of fundamental mechanisms of fungal bioleaching and methods used for the same. The case study of two different industrial wastes is also provided.