ITB develops cyanide-eater bacterium

The inter-university biotechnology research center at the Institute Technology of Bandung, West Java is developing a strain of bacterium that can eat cyanide disposal of gold mining companies, Pikiran Rakyat reported.

"The cyanide-eater bacterium is now under trial process. The center in cooperation with state mining company PT Aneka Tambang is looking for ways to reduce cyanide waste," member of the research center Dr. Ir. Edwin Kardana said on Tuesday in Bandung while presenting the center's research results.

Edwin said the bacterium could also turn the ferro contents into ferri that gold miners could reduce the amount of cyanide in the processing of gold ore. The paper did not provide further details on this.

"This system is being tried at the Pongkor and Cikotok gold mine (owned by Aneka Tambang)," he said. (*)