The solution that Apple stores recommend is iKlear, a non-toxic liquid cleaner, which its manufacturer Meridrew Enterprises says Apple uses on its own production lines.
The crisis began in August when 528 cubic metres (116, 000 gallons) of toxicliquid unloaded from a ship called the Proba Koala were dumped in 11 open-air sites in residential areas around the commercial capital, Abidjan.
By combining an artist and scientific quest, the two professors at Michigan State University found that a certain type of metal-loving bacteria can transform high amounts of the toxic chemical compound gold chloride from a liquid into solid 24-karat gold.