Bioleaching of metal(loid)s from sulfidic mine tailings and waste rock from the Neves Corvo mine, Portugal, by an acidophilic consortium

•Bioleaching is an important technique for the reprocessing of sulfidic mine wastes.•Acidophilic microbial consortium can simultaneously recover both valuable and hazardous elements from pyrite-rich waste rock and tailings.•XRD and SEM/MLA reveal mineralogical transformations after microbial-leaching.•Jarosite was the main secondary mineral formed after bioleaching.•Potential for revenue generation and environmental risk reduction at the Neves Corvo mine, Portugal.