Bioremediation of Copper from Chemical Mechanical Planarization (Cmp) Wastewater

Many industries that use technologies related with integrated circuits (IC) have begun to use more efficient processes. Their effort to achieve micro-scale processes has allowed them to have incorporated an abrasive process called Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP). Process which produces a waste composed of many organics (surfactants), abrasive particles (alumina and silicate) and most importantly copper. Copper is a heavy metal which is found in trace amounts in the human body, but whose unbound ions are extremely toxic. Copper concentrations in CMP and post-CMP cleaning effluents range from 1 to 25 mg/L and must be removed from the waste stream (Ogden et al, 2006). Bioremediation is the most recent investigative area that is being explored to treat Cu-CMP wastewaters. The use of bacteria Staphylococcus Soil Y5 to treat Cu-CMP effluents tries to solve the excess wastewater problem and explore the alternative of wastewater reuse in the IC-Industry. Our main objective was to use microorganisms to remove Cu (II) from filtered post-CMP wastewater. Typical results for copper removal ranged from values 29 to 54 percent. The result levels of our process could change considerably with much needed research and development.