Studies on Uranium Removal by the Extracellular Polysaccharide of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain

Extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) produced by a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain BU2 was characterized for its ability to remove uranium from aqueous solution. The EPS was acidic in nature and found as a potent biosorbent for uranium (U), showing pH dependence and fast saturating metal sorption, being maximum (985 mg U g^{? 1} EPS) at pH 5.0. The polymer showed enhanced uranium sorption capacity and affinity with increasing solution pH, suggesting a preferential sorption of monovalent uranyl hydroxide ions over the nonhydroxylated divalent species. Pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were applied to the experimental data, assuming that the external mass transfer limitations in the system can be neglected and biosorption is sorption controlled. Equilibrium metal binding showing conformity to the Freundlich model suggested a multilayer sorption involving specific binding sites with affinity distribution. The presence of two types of metal binding sites corresponding to strong and weak binding affinity was interpreted from the Scatchard model equation. Uranium sorption by EPS was unaffected or only slightly affected in the presence of several interfering cations and anions, except iron and thorium. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy ascertained the strong binding of uranium with the carboxylic groups of uronic acids of bacterial EPS at pH 5.0, whereas at lower pH, amino and hydroxyl groups played a major role in metal binding.