Exploring the untapped practices in bacterial-fungal mixed-based cultures for acidic treatment of metal-enriched printed circuit board waste.

This study explores the extraction of metals from spent mobile phone printed circuit boards (SMPhPCBs) to address environmental and resource depletion concerns. The challenges in metal recovery from SMPhPCBs arise due to their complex composition and high metal content. While previous research has primarily focused on using bio-cyanide, bio-sulfate, and bio-ferric compounds from acidophilic bacteria, the potential of bio-oxalic acid for SMPhPCBs treatment and the alteration of their complex structure has not yet been explored. Additionally, this study suggests evaluating the untapped potential of Aspergillus niger in oxalic acid production through mixed cultures with bacteria, marking a pioneering approach. A unique culture of Bacillus megaterium and A. niger was created, inducing bio-stress by bacterial metabolites, including gluconic acid (2683 mg/l) and live/dead bacterial cells in a medium with glucose deficiency. Results demonstrated reducing sugar consumption and oxalic acid over-production in mixed cultures compared to pure cultures, ranging from 1350 to 4951 mg/l at an initial glucose concentration (IGC) of 10 g/l and 4276 to 7460 mg/l at IGC 20 g/l. This over-production is attributed to proposed fungal signaling mechanisms to bacteria. Metal extraction using organic acids and siderophores at 10 g/l pulp density, 24 h, and 60 °C yielded Mn (100 %), Pt (100 %), Pd (70.7 %), Fe (50.8 %), Co (48.3 %), Al (21.8 %), among others. The final valuable residue containing copper, gold, and silver holds potential for future recycling. The study concludes with XRD and FTIR analyses to assess the bioleaching effect on the bio-leached powder.

The effect of increasing the pore size of nanofibrous scaffolds on the osteogenic cell culture using a combination of sacrificial agent electrospinning and ultrasonication.

One of the major problems associated with the electrospun scaffolds is their small pore size, which limits the cellular infiltration for bone tissue engineering. In this study, the effect of increasing the pore size on cellular infiltration was studied in poly/nanohydroxyapatite electrospun scaffolds, which were modified using ultrasonication, co-electrospinning with poly (ethylene oxide), and a combination of both. Ultrasonic process was optimized by central composite design. The ultrasonic output power and time of the process were considered as the effective parameters. The pore size of the scaffolds was evaluated by scanning electron microscope. The optimum conditions, according to the pore area and mechanical properties of the scaffolds were selected, and finally the groups that had the highest pore size and mechanical strength were selected for the combined method. Increasing the pore size enhanced the cellular proliferation, extension and infiltration, as well as the osteodifferentiation of stem cells. At the optimum condition, the average cellular infiltration was 36.51 µm compared to the control group with no cellular infiltration. In addition, alkaline phosphatase activity and the expression of osteocalcin and collagen I (COL I) were, respectively, 1.86, 2.54, and 2.16 fold compared to the control group on day 14. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1887-1899, 2017.