Development of a Microbe-Zeolite Carrier for the Effective Elimination of Heavy Metals from Seawater

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of zeolite-supported sulfatereducing bacteria (SRB) in enhancing the removal of Cu(2+), Ni(2+), and Cr(6+) in contaminated seawater. Our results show that SRB-immobilized zeolite carriers can enhance the removal of heavy metals. In addition, heavy metals were generally better removed at conditions of 37°C. Cu(2+), Ni(2+), and Cr(6+) were effectively removed by 98.2%, 90.1%, and 99.8% at 100 parts per million concentration of the heavy metals, respectively. These results indicate that SRB-zeolite carriers hold great potential for use in the removal of cationic heavy metal species from marine environment.