Heavy metals removal using residual fungal biomass

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems today. Biosorption, using biomaterials such as bacteria, fungi, yeast and algae, is regarded as a cost-effective biotechnology for the treatment of high volume and low concentration wastewaters containing heavy metal(s) in the order of 1 to 100 mg/l. this paper presents the results obtained in the biosorption experiments for metal ions removal from wastewater emphasising the influence of pH, contact time and initial concentration of heavy metals and biomass on the biosorption process. the experiments were conducted using active residual brewing yeast biomass for Pb and cd biosorption and baker's yeast biomass for Zn and Mn biosorption. Maximum removal efficiency for Pb and Cd were obtained after a contact time of 48 h, at pH 5, initial biomass concentration of 2 mg d.w./l, initial Pb concentration of 3.4 mg/l and, respectively, 7.5 mg/l initial cd concentration. Maximum removal efficiency for Zn and Mn was obtained after a contact time of 48 h, at pH 5, and 4 mg d.w./l initial biomass concentration.