UK Researchers Aim to Clean up Tin Mine Using Algae

In the United Kingdom, a research project by the GW4 Alliance aims to clean up water from a tin mine using algae to harvest the precious heavy metals and produce biofuel at the same time. GW4 brings together the four leading research-intensive universities: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter.

Researchers from all four universities, together with Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) are now working to take untreated mine water samples from Wheal Jane tin mine into the laboratory and grow algae on them. This will prove the effectiveness of algae in removing heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium from mine water.

Researchers will then look to convert the algae into a solid form where precious heavy metals can be extracted and recycled for the electronics industry. The remaining solid waste will then serve as feedstock to make biofuels.