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Related Concept Videos

Coagulation01:06

Coagulation

490
Colloidal solids are solid particles suspended in solution. They are usually negatively charged, attracting a compact primary layer of positively charged ions, which attract more counterions to form an electrical double layer. Electrostatic repulsion between the charged double layers prevents the particles from colliding, stabilizing the colloids. These solids are often undesirable because they can contain toxins that are difficult to remove. Coagulation is a technique that helps aggregate and...
490
Extraction: Advanced Methods00:56

Extraction: Advanced Methods

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Metal ions can be separated from one another by complexation with organic ligands–the chelating agent– to form uncharged chelates. Here, the chelating agent must contain hydrophobic groups and behave as a weak acid, losing a proton to bind with the metal. Since most organic ligands used in this process are insoluble or undergo oxidation in the aqueous phase, the chelating agent is initially added to the organic phase and extracted into the aqueous phase. The metal-ligand complex is...
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Colloidal precipitates01:09

Colloidal precipitates

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The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
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Overview Of Cell Separation And Isolation01:20

Overview Of Cell Separation And Isolation

6.5K
Cell separation was first achieved in 1964 by S. H. Seal, who separated large tumor cells from the smaller blood cells using filtration. Two years later, Pohl and Hawk performed experiments on how cells respond differently to a nonuniform electric field based on the cell type. Such observations were the inception of cell separation methods, which allow isolating a single cell type from a heterogeneous sample.
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Precipitation and Co-precipitation01:17

Precipitation and Co-precipitation

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Precipitation and coprecipitation methods can be used to separate a mixture of ions in a solution. In qualitative inorganic analysis, ions that form sparingly soluble precipitates with the same reagent are separated based on the differences in solubility products. For example, consider the separation of Cu(II) and Fe(II) ions by precipitation as insoluble sulfides. First, copper(II) sulfide is precipitated by the addition of acidic H2S, where the dissociation of H2S is suppressed. Adding H2S...
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Updated: Oct 23, 2025

Quantification of Heavy Metals and Other Inorganic Contaminants on the Productivity of Microalgae
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Quantification of Heavy Metals and Other Inorganic Contaminants on the Productivity of Microalgae

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Metal-based flocculation to harvest microalgae: a look beyond separation efficiency.

S Rossi1, S Visigalli1, F Castillo Cascino2

  • 1Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA), P.zza L. da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milan, Italy.

The Science of the Total Environment
|August 24, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Metal-based flocculants efficiently harvest microalgae biomass but aluminum (Al) shows higher toxicity than iron (Fe). Recovered photosynthetic activity is higher for Al, suggesting potential for biomass reuse in biorefineries.

Keywords:
Inhibition testsMetallic flocculantsMicroalgae-bacteriaPhoto-respirometryWastewater treatment

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Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Environmental Science
  • Algal Biology

Background:

  • Metal-based flocculants like ferric chloride (FeCl3) and aluminum sulfate (Al2(SO4)3) are vital for microalgae harvesting in biorefineries.
  • Assessing metal toxicity and photosynthetic activity is crucial for sustainable microalgae biomass utilization and water recycling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the toxicity of common metal-based flocculants (Fe and Al) on microalgae photosynthesis.
  • To determine the potential for recovery of photosynthetic activity after flocculation.
  • To assess the impact of flocculants on light availability in algal suspensions.

Main Methods:

  • Partitioning tests to quantify metal distribution between biomass and effluent.
  • Photo-respirometry assays to measure photosynthesis inhibition (IC50) and recovery.
  • Spectrophotometry to analyze changes in light absorbance of algal suspensions.

Main Results:

  • Over 95% of dosed metals partitioned into biomass, with low effluent concentrations (<0.4 mg L-1).
  • Aluminum exhibited higher toxicity (IC50: 13.7–28.3 mg Al L-1) than iron (IC50: 127.9–195.8 mg Fe L-1).
  • Significant recovery of photosynthetic activity was observed, especially for aluminum-treated algae (up to 94.6%).
  • Iron flocculants increased light absorbance by up to 40%, impacting light availability.

Conclusions:

  • Metal-based flocculants facilitate efficient microalgae harvesting with potential for water reuse.
  • Aluminum-based flocculants demonstrate higher toxicity but also better recovery of photosynthetic activity.
  • Understanding flocculant toxicity and optical effects is essential for optimizing microalgae biorefinery processes.