Biosorption of chromium by Termitomyces clypeatus
1Department of Biological Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, 2A&B, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India. sujoy_iacs@yahoo.co.in
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces
|July 10, 2007
Summary
Termitomyces clypeatus biomass effectively removes hexavalent chromium from wastewater. This fungal biosorbent, optimized at pH 3.0, reduces toxic chromium to permissible levels, confirmed by Langmuir isotherm and spectroscopic analyses.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Chromium contamination in industrial wastewater poses significant environmental and health risks.
- Bioremediation using microbial biomass offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution for heavy metal removal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of fungal biomass, specifically Termitomyces clypeatus biomass (TCB), for hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions.
- To elucidate the adsorption mechanism and optimize the process parameters for efficient chromium remediation.
Main Methods:
- Screening of various fungal species for chromium biosorption capacity.
- Adsorption studies using live TCB under varying pH conditions.
- Isotherm modeling (Langmuir), X-ray elemental mapping, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for mechanism elucidation.
Main Results:
- TCB demonstrated superior hexavalent chromium removal efficiency compared to other tested fungal species.
- Optimal adsorption occurred at pH 3.0, following the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating uniform monolayer coverage.
- SEM and FTIR analyses revealed the involvement of amino, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and phosphate groups in chromium binding and reduction to trivalent chromium.
Conclusions:
- Termitomyces clypeatus biomass is a highly effective biosorbent for hexavalent chromium removal from contaminated water.
- The biosorption process involves chemical interactions and reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), making it suitable for treating industrial effluents, such as those from tanneries.
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