Successful modification of Aspergillus Niger with inorganic sorbent for biosorption of Cs-134 from aqueous solutions

In this work, the sorption behavior of Cs(I) onto Aspergillus Niger modified with zirconium molybdenum antimonate (ZrMoSb@AN) using the batch technique was studied. ZrMoSb@AN biosorbent was synthesized using the co-precipitation technique and characterized by different analytical tools, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential thermal analysis (DTA). According to the sorption results, the sorption process was carried out after 150 min to reach equilibrium. Reaction kinetics and sorption isotherms are more applicable to the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir isotherm with a maximum sorption capacity of 42.7 mg g^-1. Thermodynamic data reveal that the sorption process is endothermic and spontaneous. Recovery of Cs(I) from the loaded ZrMoSb@AN was achieved using 0.1 M HCl. ZrMoSb@AN is a promising biosorbent for the retention of ¹³⁴Cs from simulated radioactive waste containing major radionuclides such as ¹³⁴Cs, ⁶⁰Co, and ⁸⁵Sr. The data revealed that ZrMoSb@AN could be considered an effective biosorbent for the retention of Cs(I) from aqueous solution.