Heavy metal sorption by microalgae

✍ Scribed by E. Sandau; P. Sandau; O. Pulz

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 522 KB
• Volume: 16
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0138-4988
• DOI: 10.1002/abio.370160402

✦ Synopsis

Viable microalgae are known to be able to accumulate heavy metals (bioaccumulation). Against a background of the increasing environmental risks caused by heavy metals. the microalgae Chlorellu vulguris

and Spinclina plurensis and their potential for the biological removal of heavy metals from aqueous s o htions were taken as an example for investigation. Smd-scale cultivation tests (50 1) with Cd-resistant cells of Chlorella vulgaris have shown that approx. 40% of the added 10 mg Cd/l was removed from the solution within seven days. At this heavy metal cqncentration sensitive cells died. Non-viable microalgae are able to eliminate heavy metal ions in a short time by biosorption in uncomplicated systems, withcut any toxicity problems. Compared with original biomasses, the sorption capacity of microalgal by-products changes only insignificantly. Their low price makes them economical.