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Biosorption of zinc ions from aqueous solution by the microalga Scenedesmus obliquus

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Abstract

Aquatic environments are often exposed to toxic heavy metals, which gain access to the food chain via microalgae and may cause severe problems at higher trophic levels. However, such a metabolic specificity can be taken advantage of in bioremediation strategies. The potential of a novel wild strain of Scenedesmus obliquus, previously isolated from a heavy metal-contaminated site in northern Portugal, to remove Zn from aqueous solutions was thus studied, using several initial concentrations. The removal extent reached its maximum by 1 day: 836.5 mg Zn/g biomass, at the initial concentration of 75 mg/L, mainly by adsorption onto the cell surface. Comparative studies encompassing a commercially available strain of the same microalgal species led to a maximum removal extent of only 429.6 mg Zn/g biomass, under identical conditions. Heat-inactivated cells permitted a maximum removal of 209.6 mg Zn/g biomass, at an initial concentration of 50 mg Zn/L. The maximum adsorption capacity of Zn, estimated via Langmuir’s isotherm, was 330 mg Zn/g biomass. Finally, Zn removal was highest at pH 6.0–7.0. It was proven, for the first time, that such a wild microalga can uptake and adsorb Zn very efficiently, which unfolds a particularly good potential for bioremediation. Its performance is far better than similar (reference) species, especially near neutrality, and even following heat-treatment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Câmara Municipal de Estarreja for allowing full access to the contaminated site. This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Fundo Social Europeu (III Quadro Comunitário de Apoio), via a PhD research fellowship granted to author C. M. Monteiro (ref. SFRH/BD/9332/2002), under the supervision of author F.X. Malcata.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal

    Cristina M. Monteiro, Paula M. L. Castro & F. Xavier Malcata

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  1. Cristina M. Monteiro
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  2. Paula M. L. Castro
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  3. F. Xavier Malcata
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Correspondence to F. Xavier Malcata.

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Monteiro, C.M., Castro, P.M.L. & Xavier Malcata, F. Biosorption of zinc ions from aqueous solution by the microalga Scenedesmus obliquus . Environ Chem Lett 9, 169–176 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0258-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-009-0258-2

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