Biosequestering Potential of Spirulina platensis for Uranium

The uranium sequestering potential of Spirulina platensis was studied in batch mode, and its equilibrium was established in approximately 60 minutes. It had maximum sorption at pH 4.0 to 4.5. Equilibrium data is well represented by the Langmuir isotherm model followed by the Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson models. The interference of other cations and anions in solution was found to decrease sorption of the uranium, suggesting a competition for sorption sites on S. platensis. The desorption results showed that sodium citrate solution is effective, with 83% of uranium being recovered through nondestructive means.