Synergistic enhancement of copper recovery from recalcitrant mineral phases by plant microbial fuel cells

Qian, Hang, Gao, Zhenghui, Sapsford, Devin, Chen, Wenli, Huang, Qiaoyun and Harbottle, Michael ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6443-5340 2026. Synergistic enhancement of copper recovery from recalcitrant mineral phases by plant microbial fuel cells. Journal of Hazardous Materials 505 , 141421. 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141421

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Abstract

Recovering metals from mineral-bound fractions remains a major challenge because these recalcitrant phases dominate metal-bearing wastes and render much of the metal inaccessible. We employed plant-microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) to mobilise and recover metal from such materials through a combination of mobilisation via root exudate leaching, low-power electrokinetic transport powered by the fuel cell and ultimately plant uptake. Here, we demonstrate that PMFCs can substantially enhance copper mobilisation and recovery from malachite (Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂)-spiked soils, as a model of metal-bearing mineral waste, using common reed (Phragmites australis). In soil-only systems, copper mobilisation was negligible. Application of low-power electrokinetics alone increased aqueous Cu concentrations only modestly. Plant-only systems enhanced mobilisation via root exudates. By contrast, PMFCs, combining plants with low-power electrokinetics, consistently outperformed both single processes: after two months, copper recovery by the plants reached 6.7 % of the initial load—1.8 times higher than in plant-only systems—with Cu mobilisation levels up to 20-fold greater as indicated by aqueous Cu concentration. These outcomes reveal a clear synergistic effect between root-exudate-driven lixiviation combined with the likely circuit-maintained reducing conditions and field-assisted transport, enabling enhanced recovery of copper from recalcitrant malachite. This study establishes PMFCs as a promising nature-based platform for sustainable remediation and resource recovery from recalcitrant metal-bearing wastes.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Engineering
Publisher:	Elsevier BV
ISSN:	0304-3894
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	23 February 2026
Date of Acceptance:	7 February 2026
Last Modified:	23 Feb 2026 12:02
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/185109

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