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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Microalgae have been proven efficient biological vectors for heavy metal uptake. In order to further study their biosorption potential, a strain of Desmodesmus pleiomorphus (L) was isolated from a strongly contaminated industrial site in Portugal. Under different initial Zn2? concentrations, metal removal by that strain reached a maximum of 360 mg Zn/g biomass after 7 days, at 30 mg Zn/l, after an initial rapid phase of uptake. Comparative studies were carried out using a strain of the same microalgal species that is commercially available (ACOI 561): when exposed to 30 mg Zn/l, it could remove only 81.8 mg Zn/g biomass. Biosorption experiments using inactivated biomass of the isolated strain reached a maximum Zn2? uptake of 103.7 mg/g. Metal removal at various initial pH values was studied as well; higher removal was obtained at pH 5.0. The microalga strain L, isolated from the contaminated site, exhibited a much higher removal capacity than the commercial strain, and the living biomass yielded higher levels of metal removal than its inactivated form.
Description
Keywords
Microalgae Accumulation Bioremediation pH Metal uptake
Citation
MONTEIRO, Cristina M ...[et al.] - Characterization of desmodesmus pleiomorphus isolated from a heavy metal-contaminated site: biosorption of zinc. Biodegradation. ISSN 1572-9729. Vol. 20, n.º 5 (2009), p. 629–641
Publisher
Springer Verlag