While studying for her degree, Katherym Bambague Ruiz, a student in the Physical Engineering program at the University of Cauca, discovered an important result related to the biological elimination of cyanide present in wastewater from mining activities.

 

The research was called "Strategy for bioremediation of wastewater contaminated with cyanide from the gold leaching process," an idea that born after a visit by Physical Engineering students and teachers to a gold mine in the Buenos Aires municipality of north of Cauca.

 

From the outset, this investigative work took into account the environmental problems that exist in the state, caused by mining activities, specifically contaminating water in natural habitats.

 

Thus, during the investigative process, the percentage of cyanide removal was quantified and a bioreactor and a biological plant were designed for treating wastewater from gold exploitation, an activity that in recent years has been growing in Cauca, especially in the Pacific coast.

 

Katherym Bambague Ruiz, stated that in the development of her scientific work, she found that two genera of bacteria (cyanobacteria) eliminated the cyanide present in mining wastewater.

 

"The first strain of bacteria eliminated 84% of cyanide; The second 40%; And a mixed culture of cyanobacteria eliminated 30% of cyanide present in water, all after three days. With these results, a biological plant model was designed for the treatment of wastewater generated in the gold mining process. A low cost proposal, making use of environmentally friendly technologies, " she said.

 

The achievement of the bacteria to advance tests was made thanks to the collaboration of the School of Microbiology of the University of Antioquia. "We work with the Pseudomonas bacteria, within that genus with two species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens. They are bacteria that are generally found in different habitats because they are very versatile bacteria, which can be isolated in river waters and in cassava fermentation tanks. What this bacterium does is consume the carbon and nitrogen that make up the cyanide, assimilate them and metabolize them and degrade them," explained a young researcher.

 

The research carried out by Bambague Ruiz, funded by the Vice-President’s Office of Research of the Alma Mater, was managed by an interdisciplinary team of professors from the Physics and Biology departments, with the collaboration of the University of Antioquia, where José Luis Narváez Semanate, Ph.D., M.Sc. Sandra C. Rivas Zúñiga, M.Sc. Yamilet Arcos Arango, and Ph.D. Willfrand Peréz Urbano, director of the group GIMPRO (Research Group on Metallurgical Engineering Mining and Processes), Department of Physics, University of Cauca.

 

According to Katherym, after this research it is expected to have public and private support and for the development of biological plants with the objective of performing wastewater treatment on the ground. "To consolidate the proposal to make a bioreactor with energy friendly to the environment. The wastewater could already be poured into the environment avoiding catastrophes," she said.

 

Ph.D. José Luis Narváez Semanate stressed that it is a work of high regional and national relevance, and that another point to highlight is that the student "made a proposal of the treatment plant, which I believe can be implemented within the terms which she found. It is very likely that the mining companies themselves will be able to collaborate in achieving this goal, as well as the government entities."

 

For his part, Ph.D. Willfrand Peréz Urbano, said that "pioneering projects like this one it is intended to motivate students to apply their knowledge to the benefit of the region, conducting research that contributes to improving quality of life for people. In this way the University of Cauca continues with its work, providing an education with quality and high social impact.

 

More information:

 

Physics department

Laboratory building, Tulcán sector.

Phones: 8209800 - Ext. 2304.

Email: depfisica@unicauca.edu.co