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The Biosorption Process

An Innovation in Reclamation of Toxic Metals

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Mineral Processing and the Environment

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASEN2,volume 43))

Abstract

The ability of microorganisms to remove metal ions from dilute aqueous solutions is a widely studied phenomenon. Numerous applications of biosorption, mainly in laboratory or in pilot-scale, but recently also industrially, make often use of non-living biomass, which does not require supply of nutrients and can be exposed to environments of high toxicity without problems. It was observed also that in most cases the non-living biomass showed greater binding capacities for cadmium, than the living one.

Selected experimental laboratory batch results, using actinomycetes, fungi and (dried and sterilized) activated sludge as biosorbents of metals will be presented in the following. An insight of cadmium (a priority pollutant) sorption was attempted and among others, the known Langmuir isotherm was used, describing sufficiently the process. The commercial future of biosorption as a toxic metal ions reclamation process, is connected with the practical solution of several engineering problems, such as the efficient separation of metal-loaded biomass.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Technology Division, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-540 06, Thessaloniki, Greece

    A. I. Zouboulis & K. A. Matis

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  1. A. I. Zouboulis
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  2. K. A. Matis
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of General & Inorganic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Chemical Technology (116), GR-540 06, Thessaloniki, Greece

    G. P. Gallios  & K. A. Matis  & 

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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Zouboulis, A.I., Matis, K.A. (1998). The Biosorption Process. In: Gallios, G.P., Matis, K.A. (eds) Mineral Processing and the Environment. NATO ASI Series, vol 43. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2284-1_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2284-1_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5034-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2284-1

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