Enrichment of soybean meal with microelements during the process of biosorption in a fixed-bed column

The aim of the present investigation was to enrich the mineral content of soybean meal with essential chromium and copper metal ions by a biosorption technique in a fixed-bed column. The values of column parameters were determined at various process conditions: pH, temperature, flow rate, and concentration of the feed solution; mass and size of the particles of the bed to determine the breakthrough curves. Biosorption efficiency at optimal conditions (pH 5.0, temperature = 20 °C, Cr(3+) concentration = 200 mg/L, flow rate = 10 mL/min, and sorbent mass = 40 g) was 71.4%. Maximum uptake for Cr(III) and Cu(II) obtained in column was around 15.3 and 12.3 mg/g, respectively. The model constants obtained in this study can be used for design pilot plant systems. Soybean enriched with microelements by biosorption can be considered as biological carrier of microelements and therefore used as the component of livestock feed.