Culture media with suspension of PCBs in reactor flasks were sampled for liquid phase to determine the metal content by ICP-MS method. The initial yields of metals were moderate as the consortium had not yet been adapted to the material (substrate). On the same days, samples were taken from cultivation media for enumeration and identification of microorganisms. Samples were centrifuged (5000 rpm, 10 min) to separate the biomass of microorganisms, from which in turn the DNA was isolated.

The enrichment of microbial consortium from e-waste was successful as the number of microorganisms at the end of the experiment was comparatively high (10⁷ CFU/ml,). The pH of the cultivation medium was in the range facilitating the growth of methanogens; however, several metals are in the form insoluble compounds at this pH (pH 8.5), being the majority of metals leached only in the second, acidophilic phase.

In the current activity the applicability of consortium ARGCON5 for the use with PCBs of WEEE was proved. It was possible to enrich a methane producing microbial community from e-waste. Although the initial methane yield and metals extraction ability were modest, they can be improved in further steps with modifying the medium and by means of adaptive laboratory evolution (Action B1).