ABSTRACT: The ability of simulated fruit and vegetable waste leachate of different ages to extract lead (Pb) from mine tailings was investigated. Leachate was produced from two column reactors containing fruit and vegetable waste. The results showed a high extraction ability (60 – 70%), but with some fluctuations in levels, for leachates produced during the first 50 days, with a pH of lower than 5.0, while the leachate produced during days 364 to 434, (pH 6 - 8), showed no ability to extract Pb. These periods were the initial phase and acidogenesis phase, respectively. When suitable conditions occurred, the degradation process changed to a methanogenesis phase, where some Pb extraction abilities were observed, but at a much lower degree (