British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Bioleaching (with acidophilic bacteria) definition

Definition: Minerals are extracted either by hand or mechanically and then sent away for processing. Mining results in a huge amount of excavated debris (soil, rock etc) which may still contain minerals albeit relatively few. Minerals from this debris can still be extracted using a process known as Bioleaching. The debris is sent for processing where it is placed in a huge vat. Acidophilic bacteria are added which are acidic - these eat away at the debris and dissolve the minerals which are then syphoned off.