Phytomining & Bioleaching Quiz
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5 questions, one answer each
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1. What is phytomining?
- A. Using bacteria to produce a metal-rich solution
- B. Using plants to absorb metal compounds, then burning them to obtain metal-rich ash
- C. Using electrolysis to purify a metal
- D. Using acid to dissolve metal ores directly
2. What is produced by bioleaching?
- A. A metal-rich ash
- B. A leachate solution containing metal compounds
- C. Pure metal directly
- D. A gas containing metal vapour
3. Why are phytomining and bioleaching being developed as extraction methods?
- A. To increase the amount of waste rock produced
- B. To reduce the environmental impact of traditional mining
- C. To make metals more reactive
- D. To replace all electrolysis-based extraction
4. Which type of copper ore are phytomining and bioleaching particularly suited to processing?
- A. High-grade ores only
- B. Low-grade ores
- C. Ores with no copper at all
- D. Only ores found underwater
5. A mining company has a site with low-grade copper ore that is not economical to mine traditionally. They decide to use bioleaching, followed by adding scrap iron to the resulting solution. Explain why this two-step approach makes sense.
- A. Bioleaching produces a leachate containing copper ions, and scrap iron then displaces the copper out as solid metal, since iron is more reactive than copper
- B. Bioleaching converts the ore directly into pure copper, and scrap iron is only added for storage
- C. Scrap iron is needed to grow the bacteria used in bioleaching
- D. Bioleaching removes iron impurities before copper extraction begins