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.     

Biosorption of cadmium(II), lead (II) and copper(II) with the filamentous fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The biosorption from artificial wastewaters of heavy metals (Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II)) onto the dry fungal biomass of Phanerochaete chryosporium was studied in the concentration range of 5-500 mg l(-1). The maximum absorption of different heavy metal ions on the fungal biomass was obtained at pH 6.0 and the biosorption equilibrium was established after about 6 h. The experimental biosorption data for Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions were in good agreement with those calculated by the Langmuir model.     

Biosorption of lead(II), cadmium(II), copper(II) and nickel(II) by anaerobic granular biomass

Biosorption is potentially an attractive technology for treatment of wastewater for retaining heavy metals from dilute solutions. This study investigated the feasibility of anaerobic granules as a novel type of biosorbent, for lead, copper, cadmium, and nickel removal from aqueous solutions. Anaerobic sludge supplied from a wastewater treatment plant in the province of Quebec was used. Anaerobic granules are microbial aggregates with a strong, compact and porous structure and excellent settling ability. After treatment of the biomass with Ca ions, the cation exchange capacity of the biomass was approximately 111 meq/100 g of biomass dry weight which is comparable to the metal binding capacities of commercial ion exchange resins. This work investigated the equilibrium, batch dynamics for the biosorption process. Binding capacity experiments using viable biomass revealed a higher value than those for nonviable biomass. Binding capacity experiments using non-viable biomass treated with Ca revealed a high value of metals uptake. The solution initial pH value affected metal sorption. Over the pH range of 4.0-5.5, pH-related effects were not significant. Meanwhile, at lower pH values the uptake capacity decreased. Time dependency experiments for the metal ions uptake showed that adsorption equilibrium was reached almost 30 min after metal addition. It was found that the q(max) for Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+ ions, were 255, 60, 55, and 26 mg/g respectively (1.23, 0.53, 0.87, and 0.44 mmol/g respectively). The data pertaining to the sorption dependence upon metal ion concentration could be fitted to a Langmiur isotherm model. Based on the results, the anaerobic granules treated with Ca appear to be a promising biosorbent for removal of heavy metals from wastewater due to its optimal uptake of heavy metals, its particulate shape, compact porous structure, excellent settling ability, and its high mechanical strength.     

Copper biosorption on Lyngbya putealis: Application of response surface methodology (RSM)

The potential use of biosorbent prepared from an indigenously isolated cyanobacterium, Lyngbya putealis, for the removal of copper from aqueous solution has been investigated under optimized conditions in this study. Batch mode experiments were performed to determine the adsorption equilibrium and kinetic behavior of copper in aqueous solution allowing the computation of kinetic parameters and maximum metal adsorption capacity. Influences of other parameters like initial metal ion concentration (10-100 mg l⁻¹), pH (2-8) and biosorbent dose (0.1-1.0 g/100 ml) on copper adsorption were also examined, using Box-Behnken design matrix. Very high regression coefficient between the variables and the response (R² = 0.9533) indicates excellent evaluation of experimental data by second order polynomial regression model. The response surface method indicated that 40-50 mg l⁻¹ initial copper concentration, 6.0-6.5 pH and biosorbent dose of 0.6-0.8 g/100 ml were optimal for biosorption of copper by biosorbent prepared from L. putealis. On the basis of experimental results and model parameters, it can be inferred that the biosorbent which has quite high biosorption capacity can be utilized for the removal of copper from aqueous solution.     

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.     

The removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions by Ulothrix zonata

In this work, adsorption of copper(II) ions on alga has been studied by using batch adsorption techniques. The equilibrium biosorption level was determined as a function of contact time at several initial metal ion concentrations. The effect of adsorbent concentration on the amount adsorbed was also investigated. The experimental adsorption data were fitted to the Langmuir adsorption model. The free energy change (deltaG0) for the adsorption process was found to be -12.60 kJ/mol. The results indicated that the biomass of Ulothrix zonata is a suitable biosorbent for both the removal and recovery of heavy metals from wastewater.     

Biosorption behaviors of biosorbents based on microorganisms immobilized by Ca-alginate for removing lead (II) from aqueous solution

Multiple microorganisms directly or treated with NaOH were immobilized by using Ca-alginate embedding to form biosorbents I and II, successively. The biosorption behaviors of biosorbents I and II for Pb(II) from aqueous solution were investigated in a batch system. Effects of solution pH, initial metal concentration, biosorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, and ionic strength on the adsorption process were considered to study the biosorption equilibrium, kinetics, thermodynamics, and mechanism of Pb(II) ion adsorption on the 2 types of biosorbents. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of biosorbent II for Pb(II) was higher than that of biosorbent I, and biosorbent II had a faster adsorption rate for Pb(II) ions. According to FTIR spectra, the carboxyl, amine, and hydroxyl groups on the biomass surface were involved in the biosorption of Pb(II). EDX analysis showed that ion exchange may be involved in the biosorption process, and the morphology observed by SEM micrograph of biosorbent I was completely different from that of biosorbent II. Desorption and regeneration experiments showed that the 2 types of biosorbents could be reused for 3 biosorption-desorption cycles without significant loss of their initial biosorption capacities.     

Microalgal-luffa sponge immobilized disc: a new efficient biosorbent for the removal of Ni(II) from aqueous solution

AIMS: The aim was to develop a new, efficient and cost-effective biosorbent for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution. METHODS AND RESULTS: A new biosorbent was developed by immobilizing a unicellular green microalga Chlorella sorokiniana within luffa sponge discs and used for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solution. Microalgal-luffa sponge immobilized discs (MLIDs) removed Ni(II) very rapidly, with 97% of equilibrium loading being reached in 5 min. MLIDs were tested for their potential to remove Ni(II) from aqueous solution in fixed-bed column bioreactor. The regenerated MLIDs retained 92.9% of the initial binding capacity for Ni(II) up to five cycles of reuse. CONCLUSIONS: In this study for the first time, C. sorokiniana biomass immobilized within luffa sponge disc was successfully used as a metal biosorbent for the removal of Ni(II). It appears that MLIDs can be used as an effective biosorbent for efficient removal of Ni(II) or other metals from aqueous solution. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: MLIDs biosorption system was shown to have good biosorption properties with respect to Ni(II). Efficient metal removal ability of MLIDs, low cost and simplicity of the technique used for the preparation of MILDs could provide an attractive strategy for developing high-affinity biosorption system for heavy metal removal.     

Spontaneous Cr(VI) and Cd(II) biosorption potential of native pinnae tissue of Pteris vittata L., a tropical invasive pteridophyte

Heavy metal pollution is a prevalent and critical environmental concern. Its rampancy is attributed to indiscriminate anthropogenic activities. Several technologies including biosorption have been continuously researched upon to overcome the limitations of the conventional method of treatments in removal of heavy metals. Biosorption technology involves the application of a biomass in its nonliving form. Pteris vittata L., a pteridophyte, considered as an invasive weed was investigated in the present study as a potential decontaminant of toxic metals, Cr(VI) and Cd(II). The adsorption capacity of the biosorbent for Cr(VI) and Cd(II) under equilibrium conditions was investigated. The morphology, elemental composition, functional groups, and thermal stability of the biosorbent before and after metal loading were evaluated. At 303?K and an equilibrium time of 120?min, the maximum loading of Cr(VI) on the biosorbent was estimated to be 166.7?mg/g at pH 2 and Cd(II) to be 31.3?mg/g at pH 6. Isotherm models, kinetic studies, and thermodynamic studies indicated the mechanisms, chemisorption, ion exchange and intraparticle diffusion, controlling the Cr(VI) and Cd(II) uptake, respectively. The interactive effect of multi-metal ions in binary component systems was synergistic for Cd(II) uptake. The results validate the toxic metal removal potency of the biosorbent.     

Biosorption of Nickel(II) from aqueous solution by the fungal mat of Trametes versicolor (rainbow) biomass: equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamic studies

This study investigates the equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics of Nickel(II) biosorption from aqueous solution by the fungal mat of Trametes versicolor (rainbow) biomass. The optimum biosorption conditions like pH, contact time, biomass dosage, initial metal ion concentration and temperaturewere determined in the batch method. The biosorbent was characterized by FTIR, SEM and BET surface area analysis. The experimental data were analyzed in terms of pseudo-first-order, pseudo-secondorder and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models, further it was observed that the biosorption process of Ni(II) ions closely followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The equilibrium data of Ni(II) ions at 303, 313, and 323 K were fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Langmuir isotherm provided a better fit to the equilibrium data andthe maximum monolayer biosorption capacity of the T. versicolor(rainbow) biomass for Ni(II) was 212.5 mg/g at pH 4.0. The calculated thermodynamic parameters, ΔG^○, ΔH^○, and ΔS^○, demonstrated that the biosorption of Ni(II) ions onto the T. versicolor (rainbow) biomass was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic at 303 ～ 323 K. The performance of the proposed fungal biosorbent was also compared with that of many other reported sorbents for Nickel(II) removal and it was observed that the proposed biosorbent is effective in terms of its high sorption capacity.     

Experimental and theoretical approaches for Cd(II) biosorption from aqueous solution using Oryza sativa biomass

Biomass of Oryza sativa (OS) was tested for the removal of Cd(II) ions from synthetic and real wastewater samples. Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of operating parameters on Cd(II) biosorption. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were used to examine the surface characteristics of the Cd(II)-loaded biomass. The maximum removal efficiency of Cd(II) was 89.4% at optimum pH 6.0, biosorbent dose 10.0 g L^?1, initial Cd(II) 50 mg L^?1, and biosorbent particle size 0.5 mm. The applicability of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms to the sorbent system implied the existence of both monolayer and heterogeneous surface conditions. Kinetic studies revealed that the adsorption process of Cd(II) followed the pseudo-second-order model (r2: 0.99). On the theoretical side, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was applied to select the operating parameter that mostly influences the Cd(II) biosorption process. Results from ANFIS indicated that pH was the most influential parameter affecting Cd(II) removal efficiency, indicating that the biomass of OS was strongly pH sensitive. Finally, the biomass was confirmed to adsorb Cd(II) from real wastewater samples with removal efficiency close to 100%. However, feasibility studies of such systems on a large-scale application remain to be investigated.     

Biosorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solution by Fucus serratus: surface characterization and sorption mechanisms

In this work, the brown alga Fucus serratus (FS) used as a low cost sorbent has been studied for the biosorption of copper(II) ions in batch reactors. Firstly, the characterization of the surface functional groups was performed with two methods: a qualitatively analysis with the study of FT-IR spectrum and a quantitatively determination with potentiometric titrations. From this latter, a total proton exchange capacity of 3.15 mmolg(-1) was extrapolated from the FS previously protonated. This value was similar to the total acidity of 3.56 mmolg(-1) deduced from the Gran method. Using the single extrapolation method, three kinds of acidic functional groups with three intrinsic pK(a) were determined at 3.5, 8.2 and 9.6. The point of zero net proton charge (PZNPC) was found close to pH 6.3. Secondly, the biosorption of copper ions was studied. The equilibrium time was about 350 min and the adsorption equilibrium data were well described by the Langmuir's equation. The maximum adsorption capacity has been extrapolated to 1.60 mmolg(-1). The release of calcium and magnesium ions was also measured in relation to the copper biosorption. Finally, the efficiency of this biosorbent in natural tap water for the removal of copper was also investigated. All these observations indicate that the copper biosorption on FS is mainly based on ion exchange mechanism and this biomass could be then a suitable sorbent for the removal of heavy metals from wastewaters.     

Biosorption of Copper(II) by Live and Dried Biomass of the White Rot Fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Funalia trogii

Biosorption is an innovative and alternative technology to remove heavy metal pollutants from aqueous solution using live, inactive and dead biomasses such as algae, bacteria and fungi. In this study, live and dried biomass of Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Funalia trogii was applied as heavy metal adsorbent material. Biosorption of copper(II) cations in aqueous solution by live and dried biomass of Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Funalia trogii was investigated to study the effects of initial heavy metal concentration, pH, temperature, contact time, agitation rate and amount of fungus. Copper(II) was taken up quickly by fungal biomass (live or dried) during the first 15 min and the most important factor which affected the copper adsorption by live and dried biomass was the pH value. An initial pH of around 5.0 allowed for an optimum adsorption performance. Live biomass of two white rot fungi showed a high copper adsorption capacity compared with dried biomass. Copper(II) uptake was found to be independent of temperature in the range of 20–45 °C. The initial metal ion concentration (10–300 mg/L) significantly influenced the biosorption capacity of these fungi. The results indicate that a biosorption as high as 40–60 % by live and dried biomass can be obtained under optimum conditions.     

Kinetic,thermodynamic, and equilibrium biosorption of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) using dead mushroom biomass under batch experiment

In this study, a low-cost biosorbent, dead mushroom biomass (DMB) granules, was used for investigating the optimum conditions of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) biosorption from aqueous solutions. Various physicochemical parameters, such as initial metal ion concentration, equilibrium time, pH value, agitation speed, particles diameter, and adsorbent dosage, were studied. Five mathematical models describing the biosorption equilibrium and isotherm constants were tested to find the maximum uptake capacities: Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson, Sips, and Khan models. The best fit to the Pb(II) and Ni(II) biosorption results was obtained by Langmuir model with maximum uptake capacities of 44.67 and 29.17 mg/g for these two ions, respectively, whereas for Cu(II), the corresponding value was 31.65 mg/g obtained with Khan model. The kinetic study demonstrated that the optimum agitation speed was 400 rpm, at which the best removal efficiency and/or minimum surface mass transfer resistance (MSMTR) was achieved. A pseudo-second-order rate kinetic model gave the best fit to the experimental data (R² = 0.99), resulting in MSMTR values of 4.69× 10^?5, 4.45× 10^?6, and 1.12× 10^?6 m/s for Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II), respectively. The thermodynamic study showed that the biosorption process was spontaneous and exothermic in nature.     

Biosorption of nickel(II) ions by baker's yeast: kinetic, thermodynamic and desorption studies

In this study, the biosorption of nickel(II) ion on deactivated protonated yeast was investigated as a function of temperature at different initial metal ion concentrations. The effect of temperature on the sorption was more significant at lower nickel(II) ion concentrations compared to higher concentrations. The protonated yeast biomass exhibited the highest nickel(II) ion uptake capacity at 27 degrees C at an initial nickel(II) ion concentration of 400mg/l and an initial pH of 6.75. The biosorption capacity decreased from 9.8 to 9.3mg/g at an initial nickel(II) ion concentration of 400mg/l, while at a lower initial concentration of 100mg/l, it decreased from 8.2 to 4.9 mg/g, as the temperature was increased from 27 degrees C to 60 degrees C. The equilibrium data fit better to the Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models compared to the Langmuir model in the concentration range studied (10-400mg/l). Kinetic models applied to the sorption data at different temperatures showed that nickel(II) ion uptake process followed the pseudo-second order rate model and the adsorption rate constants decreased with increasing temperature. The activation energy of biosorption (Ea) was determined to be -13.3 kJ/mol using the pseudo-second order rate constants. The results indicated that the biosorption of nickel(II) ion on to baker's yeast was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. Desorption studies revealed that the protonated yeast biomass can be regenerated using 0.1N HCl and reused.     

Bioaccumulation of copper(II), lead(II) and chromium(VI) by growing Aspergillus niger

The effect of copper(II), lead(II) and chromium(VI) ions on the growth and bioaccumulation properties of Aspergillus niger was investigated as a function of initial pH and initial metal ion concentration. The optimum pH values for growth and metal ion accumulation were determined as 5.0, 4.5 and 3.5 for copper(II), lead(II) and chromium(VI) ions, respectively. Although all metal ion concentrations caused an inhibition effect on the growth of A. niger, it was capable of removing of copper(II) and lead(II) with a maximum specific uptake capacity of 15.6 and 34.4 mg g⁻¹ at 100 mg dm⁻³ initial copper(II) and lead(II) concentration, respectively. Growth of A. niger was highly effected by chromium(VI) ions and inhibited by 75 mg dm⁻³ initial chromium(VI) concentration since some inhibition occurred at lower concentrations.     

Copper sorption by native and modified pellets of wood-rotting basidiomycetes

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the biosorption of copper to the pellets of different wood-rotting fungal species. METHODS AND RESULTS: Copper sorption was studied in both batch and column arrangements. The optimum pH for copper sorption was between 3.5 and 4. In 100 mg l(-1) Cu (II), maximum qe values were found for Oudemansiella mucida (8.77 mg g(-1) dry wt), Lepista nuda (6.29 mg g(-1)), Pycnoporus cinnabarinus (5.08 mg g(-1)) and Pleurotus ostreatus (4.77 mg g(-1)). Both biomass yield and specific sorption were influenced by the composition of the fermentation broth. The results of column experiments showed that mycelial pellets of wood-rotting fungi can be considered as promising biosorbent material. CONCLUSIONS: Pellets of wood-rotting fungi showed the same or better copper sorption properties as those previously reported for lower fungi or filamentous bacteria, as well as good mechanical properties.     

Construction a hybrid biosorbent using Scenedesmus quadricauda and Ca-alginate for biosorption of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II): kinetics and equilibrium studies

The potential use of the immobilized fresh water algae (in Ca-alginate) of Scenedesmus quadricauda to remove Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) ions from aqueous solutions was evaluated using Ca-alginate beads as a control system. Ca-alginate beads containing immobilized algae were incubated for the uniform growth at 22 degrees C for 5d ays. Adsorption of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) ions on the immobilized algae showed highest values at around pH 5.0. Adsorption of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) ions on the immobilized algae increased as the initial concentration of metal ions increased in the medium. The maximum adsorption capacities of the immobilized algal biosorbents for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) were 75.6, 55.2 and 30.4 mg/g (or 1.155, 0.933 and 0.465 mmol/g) biosorbent, respectively. When the heavy metal ions were in competition, the amounts of adsorbed metal ions were found to be 0.84 mol/g for Cu(II), 0.59 mol/g for Ni(II) and 0.08 mol/g for Zn(II), the immobilised algal biomass was significantly selective for Cu(II) ions. The adsorption-equilibrium was also represented with Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption isotherms. The adsorption of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) ions on the immobilized algae followed second-order kinetic.     

Biosorption of lead and copper from aqueous solutions by pre-treated crab and arca shell biomass

Sorption potential of pretreated crab and arca shell biomass for lead and copper from aqueous media was explored. The effects of pH, initial concentration, biosorbent dosage and contact time were studied in batch experiments. Effects of common ions like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium on the sorption capacity of pretreated crab and arca biomasses were also studied. At equilibrium, the maximum uptake by crab shell biomass was 19.83+/-0.29 and 38.62+/-1.27 mg/g for lead and copper, respectively. In case of arca shell biomass the maximum uptake capacity was 18.33+/-0.44 mg/g and 17.64+/-0.31 mg/g for lead and copper, respectively. Combined effect of all the common ions up to 50 microg/ml concentration was negligible for both the metals using both biomasses. Sorption isotherms were studied to explain the removal mechanism of both elements by fitting isotherms data into Lagergren, Freundlich and Langmuir equations.