Bioleaching of incineration fly ash by - precipitation of metallic salt crystals and morphological alteration of the fungus.

This study examines the bioleaching of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash by , and its effect on the fungal morphology, the fate of the ash particles, and the precipitation of metallic salt crystals during bioleaching. The fungal morphology was significantly affected during one-step and two-step bioleaching; scanning electron microscopy revealed that bioleaching caused distortion of the fungal hyphae (with up to 10 μm hyphae diameter) and a swollen pellet structure. In the absence of the fly ash, the fungi showed a linear structure (with 2-4 μm hyphae diameter). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the precipitation of calcium oxalate hydrate crystals at the surface of hyphae in both one-step and two-step bioleaching. Calcium oxalate precipitation affects bioleaching via the weakening of the fly ash, thus facilitating the release of other tightly bound metals in the matrix.