Abstract: The occurrence and distribution of rare earth yttrium (Y) in nature, the main chemical extraction and biological extraction methods were reviewed, and the relationship between rare earth yttrium and microorganisms was discussed from the aspects of rare earth yttrium bioleaching (microbial adsorption, microbial metabolite leaching) and the effect of rare earth yttrium on microorganisms. The biological extraction of rare earth yttrium has broad prospects, but it still faces many problems, such as the lack of dominant leaching strains and the unclear mechanism of mineral-microbial interaction. On this basis, this paper further put forward some suggestions, such as establishing a high-throughput microbial screening method and rapid identification of functional strains, strengthening the interaction mechanism between microorganisms and yttrium at the molecular level and the selective leaching of yttrium by microorganisms, popularizing the biological leaching of microbial metabolites, and optimizing the in-situ extraction technology, hoping to provide reference for the design and development of yttrium resources in China.

Key words: rare earth yttrium, bioleaching, microbial adsorption, microbial metabolite