Phallusia nigra-mediated vanadium removal from brine: Assessment and optimization

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Marine Biology
• Bioremediation

Background:

• Desalination plant rejected brines contain toxic heavy metals, posing environmental risks.
• Conventional heavy metal removal methods are costly and can cause secondary pollution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the bioaccumulation efficacy of Phallusia nigra (P. nigra) for vanadium removal from desalination brine.
• To optimize environmental conditions for enhanced vanadium bioaccumulation in P. nigra.

Main Methods:

• Bioaccumulation experiments using P. nigra to assess vanadium uptake.
• Acclimation studies to determine P. nigra's tolerance to varying salinity, temperature, and pH.
• L-16 Taguchi experimental design for optimizing vanadium removal conditions.

Main Results:

• P. nigra exhibited high vanadium bioaccumulation factors (>4.7 × 10^4 in tunic, >5.1 × 10^5 in mantle).
• P. nigra tolerated salinities up to 56 psu, temperatures ≤32°C, and pH 6.5-8.5.
• Optimal conditions (temperature, salinity, pH) significantly increased vanadium concentration in P. nigra to 1892.30 ppm.

Conclusions:

• Phallusia nigra is a highly effective biosorbent for vanadium removal from desalination brine.
• Optimized bioaccumulation in P. nigra offers a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical methods for vanadium remediation.