Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 3, 2025
Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil
Published on: September 1, 2020
Native Desmodesmus sp. and Chlorella sp. isolated from the Reconquista River display a different binding preference
Gisela Ferraro1, Regina M Toranzo1, Carolina Bagnato1
1Instituto de Energía y Desarrollo Sustentable, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Centro Atómico Bariloche, Av. Bustillo 9500, CP 8400, S. C. de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.
Abstract:
The present work was developed to study the metal removal performance of unicellular algae isolated from the Reconquista River and to evaluate the effect of the presence of more than one metal in the removal process. Thus, native species of unicellular algae were isolated from the highly contaminated Reconquista River. All of the isolates were classified, at genus level, based on their morphological appearance. Nine isolates were screened for their Zn(II) removal capacities. Chlorella sp. RR5 and Desmodesmus sp. RR7 were selected based on their removal performance, and their potential in the remediation of multiple metals was analyzed. Therefore, zinc (Zn(II)), copper (Cu(II)), and chromium (Cr(VI)) removal was evaluated in mono- and multi-metallic solutions. Biosorption capacities were high (0.8-1.8 mmol g-1) for Zn(II) and Cu(II) in mono-metallic solutions. Removal capacities decreased up to 48% in multi-metallic solutions. Interestingly, when multi-metallic systems were considered, each strain showed a metal preference. Chlorella sp. removed better Cu(II) meanwhile Desmodesmus sp. showed a preference for Zn(II). Thus, a metal-binding selectivity in each strain was determined. Chromium (VI) remediation was almost null in the conditions analyzed in this work. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis showed that polysaccharides were the main functional group involved in metal adsorption and, in some cases, also the carboxylates played an important role. Overall, we were able to analyze a new source of algal diversity and perform a metal removal characterization of them, leading to the identification of a metal selectivity based on the characteristics of the tested algal strains.
More Related Videos
11:04Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
Published on: September 7, 2019
10:31Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores
Published on: December 6, 2015
Related Concept Videos
00:56Extraction: Advanced Methods
00:43Complexometric Titration: Ligands
03:02Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
01:17Precipitation and Co-precipitation
01:19Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect
02:51Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...