Cadmium adsorption by bacterial capsular polysaccharide coatings

Conclusions

Excretion of a polysaccharide capsular coating byP.putida provided enhanced cadmium uptake when compared to the noncapsularP.cruciviae. As this advantage is most significant for cadmium concentrations below 2.5 mg/l, levels which are commonly found in waste discharges, it does suggest a potential role for extracellular polysaccharide producers as biosorbents. These encouraging results have led to further work to determine the desorption characteristics, by pH adjustment, ofP.putida along with long term viability after successive cycles of adsorption and desorption.