Biosorption of cobalt by Pseudomonas halodentrificans: influence of cell wall treatment by alkali and alkaline-earth metals and ion-exchange mechanisms

The influence of different cationic pretreatments of biomass (2000 meq cations/g biomass) on the biosorption of cobalt on Pseudomonas halodenitrificans was investigated. Li was the least inhibitory of Co2 biosorption (0.64 meq/g) and divalent ions were the most inhibitory (0.56 meq/g with Ca2, 0.46 meq/g with Mg2). Nevertheless, the binding between monovalent ions and biomass was too weak to study the role of ion-exchange in the mechanism of biosorption. A stoichiometric exchange occurred between Ca2 and 1 mM Co2 or less. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998     

Biosorption of Ni, Cr and Cd by metal tolerant Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. using single and multi-metal solution

Fungi including Aspergillus and Penicillium, resistant to Ni2+, Cd2+, and Cr6+ were isolated from soil receiving long-term application of municipal wastewater mix with untreated industrial effluents of Aligarh, India. Metal tolerance in term of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 125-550 microg/ml for Cd, 300-850 microg/ml for Ni and 300-600 microg/ml for Cr against test fungi. Two isolates, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. were tested for their Cr, Ni and Cd biosorption potential using alkali treated, dried and powdered mycelium. Biosorption experiment was conducted in 100 ml of solution at three initial metal concentrations i.e., 2, 4 and 6 mM with contact time (18 hr) and pretreated fungal biomass (0.1g) at 25 degrees C. Biosorption of all metals was found higher at 4 mM initial metal concentration as compared to biosorption at 2 and 6 mM concentrations. At 4 mM initial metal concentration, chromium biosorption was 18.05 and 19.3 mg/g of Aspergillus and Penicillium biomasses, respectively. Similarly, biosorption of Cd and Ni ions was also maximum at 4 mM initial metal concentration by Aspergillus (19.4 mg/g for Cd and 25.05 mg/g of biomass for Ni) and Penicillium (18.6 mg/g for Cd and 17.9 mg/g of biomass for Ni). In general, biosorption of metal was influenced by initial metal concentration and type of the test fungi. The results indicated that fungi of metal contaminated soil have high level of metal tolerance and biosorption properties.     

Concurrent sorption of Zn(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) by Oscillatoria angustissima as a function of pH in binary and ternary metal solutions

This paper reports biosorption of Zn(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) onto O. angustissima biomass from single, binary and ternary metal solutions, as a function of pH and metal concentrations via Central Composite Design generated by statistical software package Design Expert 6.0. The experimental design revealed that metal interactions could be best studied at lower pH range i.e. 4.0-5.0, which facilitates adequate availability of all the metal ions. The sorption capacities for single metal decreased in the order Zn(II)>Co(II)>Cu(II). In absence of any interfering metals, at pH 4.0 and an initial metal concentration of 0.5 mM in the solution, the adsorption capacities were 0.33 mmol/g Zn(II), 0.26 mmol/g Co(II) and 0.12 mmol/g Cu(II). In a binary system, copper inhibited both Zn(II) and Co(II) sorption but the extent of inhibition of former was greater than the latter; sorption values being 0.14 mmol/g Zn(II) and 0.27 mmol/g Co(II) at initial Zn(II) and Co(II) concentration of 1.5 mM each, pH 4.0 and 1mM Cu(II) as the interfering metal. Zn(II) and Co(II) were equally antagonistic to each others sorption; Zn(II) and Co(II) sorption being 0.23 and 0.24 mmol/g, respectively, at initial metal concentration of 1.5 mM each, pH 4.0 and 1mM interfering metal concentration. In contrast, Cu(II) sorption remained almost unaffected at lower concentrations of the competing metals. Thus, in binary system inhibition dominance observed was Cu(II)>Zn(II), Cu(II)>Co(II) and Zn(II) approximately Co(II), due to this the biosorbent exhibited net preference/affinity for Cu(II) sorption over Zn(II) or Co(II). Hence, the affinity series showed a trend of Cu(II)>Co(II)>Zn(II). In a ternary system, increasing Co(II) concentration exhibited protection against the inhibitory effect of Cu(II) on Zn(II) sorption. On the other hand, the inhibitory effect of Zn(II) and Cu(II) on Co(II) sorption was additive. The model equation for metal interactions was found to be valid within the design space.     

Metal tolerance and biosorption potential of filamentous fungi isolated from metal contaminated agricultural soil

Heavy metal analysis of agricultural field soil receiving long-term (>20 years) application of municipal and industrial wastewater showed two- to five-fold accumulation of certain heavy metals as compared to untreated soil. Metal-resistant fungi isolated from wastewater-treated soil belonged to genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria, Geotrichum, Fusarium, Rhizopus, Monilia and Trichoderma. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for Cd, Ni, Cr, Cu, and Co were determined. The MIC ranged from 0.2 to 5 mg ml(-1) for Cd, followed by Ni (0.1-4 mg ml(-1)), Cr (0.3-7 mg ml(-1)), Cu (0.6-9 mg ml(-1)) and for Co (0.1-5 mg ml(-1)) depending on the isolate. Aspergillus and Rhizopus isolates were tested for their metal biosorption potential for Cr and Cd in vitro. Biosorption experiments were conducted with initial metal concentrations of 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM with a contact time of 4 h and wet fungal biomass (1-5 g) at 25 degrees C. Maximum biosorption of Cr and Cd ions was found at 6 mM initial metal concentration. Aspergillus sp.1 accumulated 1.20 mg of Cr and 2.72 mg of Cd per gram of biomass. Accumulation of these two metals by very tolerant Aspergillus sp.2 isolate was at par with relatively less tolerant Aspergillus sp.1 isolate. Rhizopus sp. accumulated 4.33 mg of Cr and 2.72 mg of Cd per g of biomass. The findings indicated promising biosorption of cadmium and chromium by the Rhizopus and Aspergillus spp. from aqueous solution. There is little, if any, correlation between metal tolerance and biosorption properties of the test fungi.     

Comparison of the Heavy Metal Biosorption Capacity of Active,Heat‐Inactivated and NaOH‐Treated Phanerochaete chrysosporium Biosorbents

Three different kinds of Phanerochaete chrysosporium (NaOH‐treated, heat‐inactivated and active) biosorbent were used for the removal of Cd(II) and Hg(II) ions from aquatic systems. The biosorption of Cd(II) and Hg(II) ions on three different forms of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was studied in aqueous solutions in the concentration range of 50–700 mg/L. Maximum biosorption capacities of NaOH‐treated, heat‐inactivated and active Phanerochaete chrysosporium biomass were found to be 148.37 mg/g, 78.68 mg/g and 68.56 mg/g for Cd(II) as well as 224.67 mg/g, 122.37 mg/g and 88.26 mg/g for Hg(II), respectively. For Cd(II) and Hg(II) ions, the order of affinity of the biosorbents was arranged as NaOH‐treated > heat‐inactivated > active. The order of the amount of metal ions adsorbed was established as Hg(II) > Cd(II) on a weight basis, and as Cd(II) > Hg(II) on a molar basis. Biosorption equilibriums were established in about 60 min. The effect of the pH was also investigated, and maximum rates of biosorption of metal ions on the three different forms of Phanerochaete chrysosporium were observed at pH 6.0. The reusability experiments and synthetic wastewater studies were carried out with the most effective form, i.e., the NaOH‐treated Phanerochaete chrysosporium biomass. It was observed that the biosorbent could be regenerated using 10 mM HCl solution, with a recovery of up to 98%, and it could be reused in five biosorption‐desorption cycles without any considerable loss in biosorption capacity. The alkali‐treated Phanerochaete chrysosporium removed 73% of Cd(II) and 81% of Hg(II) ions from synthetic wastewater.     

Biosorption of Pb(II) and Cr(III) from aqueous solution by lichen (Parmelina tiliaceae) biomass

The biosorption characteristics of Pb(II) and Cr(III) ions from aqueous solution using the lichen (Parmelina tiliaceae) biomass were investigated. Optimum biosorption conditions were determined as a function of pH, biomass dosage, contact time, and temperature. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models were applied to describe the biosorption isotherm of the metal ions by P. tiliaceae biomass. Langmuir model fitted the equilibrium data better than the Freundlich isotherm. The monolayer biosorption capacity of P. tiliaceae biomass for Pb(II) and Cr(III) ions was found to be 75.8 mg/g and 52.1mg/g, respectively. From the D-R isotherm model, the mean free energy was calculated as 12.7 kJ/mol for Pb(II) biosorption and 10.5 kJ/mol for Cr(III) biosorption, indicating that the biosorption of both metal ions was taken place by chemical ion-exchange. The calculated thermodynamic parameters (delta G degrees , delta H degrees and delta S degrees ) showed that the biosorption of Pb(II) and Cr(III) ions onto P. tiliaceae biomass was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic under examined conditions. Experimental data were also tested in terms of biosorption kinetics using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The results showed that the biosorption processes of both metal ions followed well pseudo-second-order kinetics.     

Biosorption characteristics of Aspergillus flavus biomass for removal of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions from an aqueous solution

The Pb(II) and Cu(II) biosorption characteristics of Aspergillus flavus fungal biomass were examined as a function of initial pH, contact time and initial metal ion concentration. Heat inactivated (killed) biomass was used in the determination of optimum conditions before investigating the performance of pretreated biosorbent. The maximum biosorption values were found to be 13.46 +/- 0.99 mg/g for Pb(II) and 10.82 +/- 1.46 mg/g for Cu(II) at pH 5.0 +/- 0.1 with an equilibrium time of 2 h. Detergent, sodium hydroxide and dimethyl sulfoxide pretreatments enhanced the biosorption capacity of biomass in comparison with the heat inactivated biomass. The biosorption data obtained under the optimum conditions were well described by the Freundlich isotherm model. Competitive biosorption of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions was also investigated to determine the selectivity of the biomass. The results indicated that A. flavus is a suitable biosorbent for the removal of Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution.     

Enhancement of Lead(II) Biosorption by Microalgal Biomass Immobilized onto Loofa (Luffa cylindrica) Sponge

A unicellular green microalga, Chlorella sorokiniana, was immobilized on loofa (Luffa cylindrica) sponge and successfully used as a new biosorption system for the removal of lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The biosorption of lead(II) ions on both free and immobilized biomass of C. sorokiniana was investigated using aqueous solutions in the concentration range of 10–300 mg/L. The biosorption of lead(II) ions by C. sorokiniana biomass increased as the initial concentration of lead(II) ions increased in the medium. The maximum biosorption capacity for free and immobilized biomass of C. sorokiniana was found to be 108.04 and 123.67 mg lead(II)/g biomass, respectively. The biosorption kinetics were found to be fast, with 96 % of adsorption within the first 5 min and equilibrium reached at 15 min. The adsorption of lead(II) both by free and immobilized C. sorokiniana biomass followed the Langmuir isotherm. The biosorption capacities were detected to be dependent on the pH of the solution; and the maximum adsorption was obtained at a solution pH of about 5. The effect of light metal ions on lead(II) uptake was also studied and it was shown that the presence of light metal ions did not significantly affect lead(II) uptake. The loofa sponge‐immobilized C. sorokiniana biomass could be regenerated using 0.1 M HCl, with up to 99 % recovery. The desorbed biomass was used in five biosorption‐desorption cycles, and no noticeable loss in the biosorption capacity was observed. In addition, fixed bed breakthrough curves for lead(II) removal were presented. These studies demonstrated that loofa sponge‐immobilized biomass of C. sorokiniana could be used as an efficient biosorbent for the treatment of lead(II) containing wastewater.     

Interactions of metal cations with anionic groups on the cell wall of the macroalga Vaucheria sp.

The aim of this article was to investigate the interactions of metal cations in aqueous solutions with the biomass of the freshwater macroalga Vaucheria sp. This problem is important when elaborating new applications of biosorption, e.g. the production of mineral feed additives for livestock from the biomass of algae enriched with microelement ions. Potentiometric titration was applied as a quick and cheap screening test to search for new efficient biosorbents. It revealed a variety of functional groups capable of cation exchange on the macroalgal surface, including carboxyl, phosphate, hydroxyl or amino groups. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy on natural and chromium‐loaded Vaucheria sp. confirmed that carboxyl groups played a dominant role in the biosorption. The study also showed that Ca(II), Na(I), K(I), and Mg(II) ions were released from the biomass after biosorption of Cu(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), and Co(II) ions, indicating that ion exchange was a key mechanism in the biosorption of metal ions by Vaucheria sp. biomass. It was noticed that the mass of the microelement cations bound by the macroalga was proportional to the total mass of light metal ions [Na(I), K(I), Ca(II), and Mg(II)] released from the biomass.     

The use of free and immobilized <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cunninghamella elegans</Emphasis> for removing cobalt ions from aqueous waste solutions

This paper discusses the possible application to use free and immobilized Cunninghamella elegans for the removal of cobalt from aqueous waste solutions. Results indicated that the maximum uptake occurred at; pH 4.0–5.5 ± 0.2, temperature range between 15 and 50°C and stirring rate 250 rpm. The uptake increased with the increase of metal ion concentration up to 40 ppm. Also, it was found that the best biomass weights used for biosorption were 0.25 and 0.5 g for both free and immobilized biomass. The reuse of control alginate beads, alive and dead immobilized Cunninghamella elegans beads was investigated for five cycles. Results showed that the percent uptake decreased slightly after the first cycle. While, in the case of alginate beads there was increase in the second cycle then returned to the same level of uptake. The uptake of cobalt in the presence of Cr(VI) and Cd(II) at different mixture concentrations 40, 50 and 60 ppm was investigated. The results showed that the uptake amount of Co(II) in the presence of other metal ions was lower than Co(II) alone except for Ca-alginate beads. SEM studies for control alginate beads, alive and dead immobilized Cunninghamella elegans beads were conducted to investigate the beads before and after the accumulation of cobalt ions.     

Co2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ accumulation by cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis

The Spirulina platensis biomass was characterized for its metal accumulation as a function of pH, external metal concentration, equilibrium isotherms, kinetics, effect of co-ions under free (living cells, lyophilized, and oven-dried) and immobilized (Ca-alginate and polyacrylamide gel) conditions. The maximum metal biosorption by S. platensis biomass was observed at pH 6.0 with free and immobilized biomass. The studies on equilibrium isotherm experiments showed highest maximum metal loading by living cells (181.0 +/- 13.1 mg Co(2+)/g, 272.1 +/- 29.4 mg Cu(2+)/g and 250.3 +/- 26.4 mg Zn(2+)/g) followed by lyophilized (79.7 +/- 9.6 mg Co(2+)/g, 250.0 +/- 22.4 mg Cu(2+)/g and 111.2 +/- 9.8 mg Zn(2+)/g) and oven-dried (25.9 +/- 1.9 mg Co(2+)/g, 160.0 +/- 14.2 mg Cu(2+)/g and 35.1 +/- 2.7 mg Zn(2+)/g) biomass of S. platensis on a dry weight basis. The polyacrylamide gel (PAG) immobilization of lyophilized biomass found to be superior over Ca-alginate (Ca-Alg) and did not interfere with the S. platensis biomass biosorption capacity, yielding 25% of metal loading after PAG entrapment. The time-dependent metal biosorption in both the free and immobilized form revealed existence of two phases involving an initial rapid phase (which lasted for 1-2 min) contributing 63-77% of total biosorption, followed by a slower phase that continued for 2 h. The metal elution studies conducted using various reagents showed more than 90% elution with mineral acids, calcium salts, and Na(2)EDTA with free (lyophilized or oven-dried) as well as immobilized biomass. The experiments conducted to examine the suitability of PAG-immobilized S. platensis biomass over multiple cycles of Co(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+) sorption and elution showed that the same PAG cubes can be reused for at least seven cycles with high efficiency.     

The mechanism of cobalt biosorption

Nonliving biomass of the common seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum is capable of accumulating cobalt from aqueous solutions to the extent of 160 mg Co(2+)/g. Successful desorption of cobalt from the biomass by acidic CaCl(2) solutions revealed that the metal uptake phenomenon is reversible, implying physical sorption of cobalt. Chemical and instrumental analysis including electron microscopy, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, X-ray dispersion and diffraction analysis provided supporting evidence that the biosorption mechanism involves predominantly ion exchange. Alginates of the cell wall (-COOH groups) play an important role in cobalt binding. Coordination and sorption in the cell wall structure occur simultaneously and rapidly whereas penetration of cobalt into the cell occurs at a lower rate.     

Biosorption of copper(II) and cobalt(II) from aqueous solutions by crab shell particles

Biosorption of each of the heavy metals, copper(II) and cobalt(II) by crab shell was investigated in this study. The biosorption capacities of crab shell for copper and cobalt were studied at different particle sizes (0.456-1.117 mm), biosorbent dosages (1-10 g/l), initial metal concentrations (500-2000 mg/l) and solution pH values (3.5-6) in batch mode. At optimum particle size (0.767 mm), biosorbent dosage (5 g/l) and initial solution pH (pH 6); crab shell recorded maximum copper and cobalt uptakes of 243.9 and 322.6 mg/g, respectively, according to Langmuir model. The kinetic data obtained at different initial metal concentrations indicated that biosorption rate was fast and most of the process was completed within 2h, followed by slow attainment of equilibrium. Pseudo-second order model fitted the data well with very high correlation coefficients (>0.998). The presence of light and heavy metal ions influenced the copper and cobalt uptake potential of crab shell. Among several eluting agents, EDTA (pH 3.5, in HCl) performed well and also caused low biosorbent damage. The biosorbent was successfully regenerated and reused for five cycles.     

Cobalt separation by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alphaproteobacterium</Emphasis> MTB-KTN90: magnetotactic bacteria in bioremediation

Bioremediation of toxic metals by magnetotactic bacteria and magnetic separation of metal-loaded magnetotactic bacteria are of great interest. This bioprocess technique is rapid, efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly. In this study, cobalt removal potential of a novel isolated magnetotactic bacterium (Alphaproteobacterium MTB-KTN90) as a new biosorbent was investigated. The effects of various environmental parameters in the cobalt removal and the technique of magnetic separation of cobalt-loaded bacterial cells were studied. Cobalt removal by MTB-KTN90 was very sensitive to pH solution; higher biosorption capacity was observed around pH 6.5–7.0. When biomass concentration increased from 0.009 to 0.09 g/l, the biosorption efficiency increased from 13.87 % to 19.22 %. The sorption of cobalt by MTB-KTN90 was rapid during the first 15 min (859.17 mg/g dry weight). With the increasing of cobalt concentrations from 1 to 225 mg/l, the specific cobalt uptake increased. Maximum cobalt removal (1160.51 ± 15.42 mg/g dry weight) took place at optimum conditions; pH 7.0 with initial cobalt concentration of 115 mg/l at 60 min by 0.015 g/l of dry biomass. The results showed maximum values for constants of Langmuir and Freundlich models so far. The biosorption mechanisms were studied with FTIR, PIXE, and FESEM analysis. Cobalt-loaded MTB-KTN90 had ability to separate from solution by a simple magnetic separator. Magnetic response in MTB-KTN90 is due to the presence of unique intracellular magnetic nanoparticles (magnetosomes). The orientation magnetic separation results indicated that 88.55 % of cobalt was removed from solution. Consequently, Alphaproteobacterium MTB-KTN90 as a new biosorbent opens up good opportunities for the magnetic removal of cobalt from the polluted aquatic environments.     

The effect of pulse voltage and capacitance on biosorption of uranium by biomass derived from whiskey distillery spent wash

Biosorption of uranium by residual biomass from The Old Bushmill's Distillery Co. Ltd., Bushmills, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, following exposure to short and intense electric pulses has been examined. The biomass was prepared from the distillery spent wash and consisted of non-viable yeast and bacterial cells. As shown previously, untreated biomass had a maximum biosorption capacity of 170?mg uranium/g dry weight biomass. When biosorption reactions were placed between two electrodes and exposed to electric pulses with field strengths ranging from 1.25–3.25?kV/cm at a capacitance of 25?μF, biosorption increased from 170?mg of uranium to 275?mg uranium/g dry weight biomass. The data were obtained from biosorption isotherm analyses and taken as the degree of biosorption at residual uranium concentrations of 3?mM. In addition, when the capacitance of the electric pulses increased from 0.25?μF to 25?μF at a fixed pulse field strength the degree of biosorption increased from 210?mg uranium to 240?mg uranium/g dry weight biomass. The results suggest that application of short and intense electric pulses to biosorption reactions may play an important role in enhancing microbial biosorption of toxic metals/radionuclides from waste water streams.     

Potential capacity of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae in the biosorption of Cd2+ and Pb2+

In this study Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were used as inexpensive and efficient biosorbents for Pb(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous metal solutions. The effects of various physicochemical factors on Pb(II) and Cd(II) biosorption by B. bassiana and M. anisopliae were studied. The optimum pH for Cd(II) and Pb(II) biosorption by two fungal species was achieved at pH 6.0 for Pb(II) and 5.0 Cd(II) at a constant time of 30 min. The nature of fungal biomass and metal ion interactions was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared. The maximum adsorption capacities (q(max)) calculated from Langmuir isotherms for Pb(II), and Cd(II) uptake by B. bassiana were 83.33±0.85, and 46.27±0.12 mg/g, respectively. However, the q(max) obtained for Pb(II) uptake by M. anisopliae was 66.66±0.28 mg/g, and 44.22±0.13 mg/g for Cd(II). B. bassiana showed higher adsorption capacity compared to M. anisopliae. The data obtained imply the potential role of B. bassiana and M. anisopliae for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions.     

Biosorption of nickel (II) from effluent of electroplating industry by immobilized cells of Bacillus species

In this study, Ni (II) biosorption capacity of immobilized cells of Bacillus sp. was investigated. Biosorption of Ni (II) was carried out in batch experiments and the important environmental conditions were optimized. The uptake of metal was rapid, and equilibrium was attained within 270 min. Bacillus strains (ten cultures) were isolated from nickel electroplating effluent by heat shock method. These isolates were grown up in nutrient broth supplemented with Ni (II)(50 mg/L). The culture, exhibiting maximum biosorption capacity (q^max: 118 mg/g), was selected and labeled Bacillus Bio‐4. In order to develop an economical biosorption process cell mass of Bacillus, Bio‐4 was immobilized in Na‐alginate. It was concluded from the results that biosorption of nickel is highly dependent on the type of sorbent and experimental conditions employed. Our results demonstrate that 6.0 mg immobilized cells (18 mg cell biomass in 3.0 mL of 1% Na alginate) had a maximum biosorption capacity of 113 mg Ni(II) per liter of suspension at pH 8.0, 100 rpm and 25°C. The Ni (II) removal was estimated to be 97.4%.     

Cadmium, zinc and copper biosorption mediated by Pseudomonas veronii 2E

Adsorption properties of bacterial biomass were tested for Cd removal from liquid effluents. Experimental conditions (pH, time, cellular mass, volume, metal concentration) were studied to develop an efficient biosorption process with free or immobilised cells of Pseudomonas veronii 2E. Surface fixation was chosen to immobilise cells on inert surfaces including teflon membranes, silicone rubber and polyurethane foam. Biosorption experiments were carried out at 32 °C and controlled pH; maximal Cd(II) retention was observed at pH 7.5. The isotherm followed the Langmuir model (K_d = 0.17 mM and q_max = 0.48 mmol/g cell dry weight). Small changes in the surface negative charge of cells were observed by electrophoretic mobility experiments in presence of Cd(II). In addition, biosorption of 40% Cu(II) (pH 5 and 6.2) and 50% Zn(II) and 50% Cd(II) (pH 7.5) was observed from mixtures of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) 0.5 mM each.     

Edible macroalga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ulva prolifera</Emphasis> as microelemental feed supplement for livestock: the fundamental assumptions of the production method

In the present paper, the possibility of the application of marine macroalga Ulva (Enteromorpha) prolifera, as microelemental feed supplement for livestock, was evaluated. The concept was based on two facts: the natural macroalga contains high concentrations of microelements and there is a possibility to greatly increase this content via biosorption. In order to characterize the biosorption process of metal ions by U. prolifera, preliminary experiments were conducted with Cr(III) ions. The effect of temperature, pH and the biomass concentration on the equilibrium of biosorption was investigated. For further experiments (biosorption of Mn(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Co(II)), the following experimental conditions were chosen: pH 5, 25°C, the biomass concentration 1.0 g l⁻¹. Equilibrium of the biosorption process could be described by the Langmuir equation. The theoretical maximum biosorption capacity was also determined by potentiometric titration of the biomass. The investigation of the external structure of the macroalga and atomic concentration of elements on the surface of the biomass was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The content of microelements in the biomass after biosorption increased 110,555; 44,228; 21,177; 2,281 and 1,458 times for Co(II), Cr(III),Cu(II), Zn(II), Mn(II), respectively. Therefore, biomass of U. prolifera enriched with individual microelements, mixed in the proper proportion could be used as feed supplement in animal feeding to cover the nutrient requirements for microelements.     

News & Notes: Sorption and Desorption of Cobalt by Oscillatoria anguistissima

Oscillatoria anguistissima rapidly adsorbs appreciable amounts of cobalt from the aqueous solutions within 15 min of initial contact with the metal solution. O. anguistissima showed a high sequestration of cobalt at low equilibrium concentrations, and it followed the Freundlich model of adsorption. The adsorption is a strongly pH-dependent and temperature-independent phenomenon. The presence of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ (100–200 ppm) resulted in decline in Co²⁺ adsorption capacity of Oscillatoria biomass. Sulphate and nitrate (0.75–10 mM) drastically reduced the extent of Co²⁺ biosorption. The biosorption of cobalt is an ion-exchange process as the Co²⁺ binding was accompanied by release of a large amounts of Mg²⁺ ions. Na₂CO₃ (1.0 mM) resulted in about 76% desorption of Co²⁺ from the loaded biomass. Received: 30 January 1999 / Accepted: 3 March 1999