A comparative study on metal sorption by brown seaweed

Urban mining from biomass, brine, sewage sludge, phosphogypsum and e-waste for reducing the environmental pollution: Current status of availability, potential, and technologies with a focus on LCA and TEA

Rapid industrialization, improved standards of living, growing economies and ever-increasing population has led to the unprecedented exploitation of the finite and non-renewable resources of minerals in past years. It was observed that out of 100 BMT of raw materials processed annually only 10% is recycled back. This has resulted in a strenuous burden on natural or primary resources of minerals (such as ores) having limited availability. Moreover, severe environmental concerns have been raised by the huge piles of waste generated at landfill sites. To resolve these issues, 'Urban Mining' from waste or secondary resources in a Circular Economy' concept is the only sustainable solution. The objective of this review is to critically examine the availability, elemental composition, and the market potential of the selected secondary resources such as lignocellulosic/algal biomass, desalination water, sewage sludge, phosphogypsum, and e-waste for minerals sequestration. This review showed that, secondary resources have potential to partially replace the minerals required in different sectors such as macro and microelements in agriculture, rare earth elements (REEs) in electrical and electronics industry, metals in manufacturing sector and precious elements such as gold and platinum in ornamental industry. Further, inputs from the selected life cycle analysis (LCA) & techno economic analysis (TEA) were discussed which showed that although, urban mining has a potential to reduce the greenhouse gaseous (GHG) emissions in a sustainable manner however, process improvements through innovative, novel and cost-effective pathways are essentially required for its large-scale deployment at industrial scale in future.

Biosorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions using activated sludge, Aeromasss hydrophyla, and Branhamella spp based on modeling with GEOCHEM

This work tests the technical applicability of sewage sludge and isolated dead cells of Aeromasss hydrophyla and Branhamella spp for the elimination of inorganic pollutants such as Zn(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and/or Cu(II) using synthetic wastewater with their initial concentrations of 100 mg/L, respectively. The sludge samples were collected from local sewage treatment plants. The effects of dose and pH on heavy metals removal were evaluated in batch studies and their removal performances were compared to those of previous studies. Both the Freundlich and the Langmuir models were plotted to study their biosorption using activated sludge and the bacteria. Isotherm data, resulting from the batch studies, were compared to the modeling results of Geochem. It was evident that the activated sludge could achieve 99% of Zn(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) removal with 100 mg/L of concentration at pH 6.0 and 3 g/L of dose. Under the same conditions, 97% of Cd(II), Cu(II) and/or Pb(II) was removed by Aeromasss hydrophyla and Branhamella spp, as indicated by their adsorption capacities (activated sludge: 99.07 mg Pb²⁺/g; dewatered sludge: 57.15 mg Pb²⁺/g; digested sludge: 83.58 mg Pb²⁺/g; 24.47 mg Cd²⁺/g; Aeromasss hydrophylla: 71.91 mg Pb²⁺/g; Branhamella spp: 37.52 mg Cu²⁺/g). Of the four heavy metals studied, Pb(II) had the highest metal adsorption capacity for all adsorbents studied (Pb²⁺>Cu²⁺> Cd²⁺>Zn²⁺). The modeling results of the Geochem fitted well with the isotherm data of the batch studies at varying concentrations from 20 to 100 mg/L. The thermodynamic constant at pH 4 were comparable to those obtained from previous works. This indicates a reliable prediction over varying metal concentrations and pHs of the batch studies. In spite of the promising results, the treated effluents still could not meet the required effluent limits set by local legislation. Therefore, it is necessary to subsequently treat the samples using biological processes such as activated sludge.

Toxic metals (Al, Cd, Pb and Hg) in the most consumed edible seaweeds in Europe

Algae are becoming increasingly common because of their importance in vegan and vegetarian diets. Although they are a source of essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, these marine organisms have a high absorption capacity that can lead to the accumulation of toxic metals which are dangerous in humans. The objective of this study is to determine the content of toxic metals (Al, Cd, Pb and Hg) in edible seaweed samples marketed in Spain (Europe) to assess the toxicological risk from the intake of these metals. A total of 73 European and Asian algae samples marketed in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) were analyzed by ICP - OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry) and by CV-AAS (Cold Vapor - Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry). The major toxic metal was Al, whose highest level was recorded in seaweed salad (57.5 mg Al/kg dry weight). Regarding the origin, the highest concentrations of Al (38.9 mg/kg dw), Cd (0.59 mg/kg dw) and Pb (0.40 mg/kg dw) were found in Asian algae, which may be due to the high levels of industry in the Asian countries. However, the highest concentration of Hg (0.017 mg/kg dw) was found in European algae. The consumption of 5 g of dehydrated seaweed per day represents a percentage of contribution to the tolerable weekly intake of Cd of 22.7%, this percentage may entail a risk when considering total Cd intake. However, the consumption of 5 g a day of dehydrated seaweed would not, pose a risk to the health of adults.

Tree gum-based renewable materials: Sustainable applications in nanotechnology, biomedical and environmental fields

The prospective uses of tree gum polysaccharides and their nanostructures in various aspects of food, water, energy, biotechnology, environment and medicine industries, have garnered a great deal of attention recently. In addition to extensive applications of tree gums in food, there are substantial non-food applications of these commercial gums, which have gained widespread attention due to their availability, structural diversity and remarkable properties as 'green' bio-based renewable materials. Tree gums are obtainable as natural polysaccharides from various tree genera possessing exceptional properties, including their renewable, biocompatible, biodegradable, and non-toxic nature and their ability to undergo easy chemical modifications. This review focuses on non-food applications of several important commercially available gums (arabic, karaya, tragacanth, ghatti and kondagogu) for the greener synthesis and stabilization of metal/metal oxide NPs, production of electrospun fibers, environmental bioremediation, bio-catalysis, biosensors, coordination complexes of metal-hydrogels, and for antimicrobial and biomedical applications. Furthermore, polysaccharides acquired from botanical, seaweed, animal, and microbial origins are briefly compared with the characteristics of tree gum exudates.

Minerals from Macroalgae Origin: Health Benefits and Risks for Consumers

Seaweeds are well-known for their exceptional capacity to accumulate essential minerals and trace elements needed for human nutrition, although their levels are commonly very variable depending on their morphological features, environmental conditions, and geographic location. Despite this variability, accumulation of Mg, and especially Fe, seems to be prevalent in Chlorophyta, while Rhodophyta and Phaeophyta accumulate higher concentrations of Mn and I, respectively. Both red and brown seaweeds also tend to accumulate higher concentrations of Na, K, and Zn than green seaweeds. Their valuable mineral content grants them great potential for application in the food industry as new ingredients for the development of numerous functional food products. Indeed, many studies have already shown that seaweeds can be used as NaCl replacers in common foods while increasing their content in elements that are oftentimes deficient in European population. In turn, high concentrations of some elements, such as I, need to be carefully addressed when evaluating seaweed consumption, since excessive intake of this element was proven to have negative impacts on health. In this regard, studies point out that although very bioaccessible, I bioavailability seems to be low, contrarily to other elements, such as Na, K, and Fe. Another weakness of seaweed consumption is their capacity to accumulate several toxic metals, which can pose some health risks. Therefore, considering the current great expansion of seaweed consumption by the Western population, specific regulations on this subject should be laid down. This review presents an overview of the mineral content of prevalent edible European macroalgae, highlighting the main factors interfering in their accumulation. Furthermore, the impact of using these marine vegetables as functional ingredients or NaCl replacers in foods will be discussed. Finally, the relationship between macroalgae’s toxic metals content and the lack of European legislation to regulate them will be addressed.

Nanoscale zero-valent iron functionalized Posidonia oceanica marine biomass for heavy metal removal from water

Because of the excellent reducing capacity of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI), it can be used as alternative materials for the removal of a variety of reducible water contaminants including toxic metals. The current paper reports the research results obtained for self-prepared biosorbent, Posidonia oceanica biomass, activated in alkaline medium and functionalized with NZVI particles. The structural characteristics, surface morphology, and binding properties of the resulting nanobiosorbent are presented. Batch comparative adsorption trials including adsorption kinetics and isothermals onto raw Posidonia, Posidonia-OH and Posidonia-OH-NZVI were investigated on three heavy metal ions: Cd(II), Pb(II), and Cu(II). The nanobiosorbent showed better properties, such as high reactivity and high uptake rate through the sorption process. The toxic metal removal has been monitored in terms of pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetics, and both Langmuir- and Freundlich-type isotherm models have been used to describe the sorption mechanism. The experimental data of all studied systems showed that the uptake kinetics follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the equilibrium uptake can adopt the Langmuir-type isotherm model which assumes a monolayer coverage as the adsorption saturates and no further adsorption occurs. The thermodynamic results confirm that all sorption processes were feasible, spontaneous and thermodynamically favorable. Zeta potential data displayed that Cd(II), Pb(II), and Cu(II) tend to be reduced after exposure on the Posidonia-OH-NZVI surface. Furthermore, sorption competitions of the metals from binary and ternary systems were carried out onto Posidonia-OH-NZVI in order to gain further insight into the sorption efficiency of this material. Therefore, as a result, the proposed new nanobiosorbent could offer potential benefits in remediation of heavy metal-contaminated water as a green and environmentally friendly bionanocomposite.

State of the science review: Potential for beneficial use of waste by-products for in situ remediation of metal-contaminated soil and sediment

Metal and metalloid contamination of soil and sediment is a widespread problem both in urban and rural areas throughout the United States (U.S. EPA, 2014). Beneficial use of waste by-products as amendments to remediate metal-contaminated soils and sediments can provide major economic and environmental advantages on both a site-specific and national scale. These waste by-products can also reduce our need to mine virgin materials or produce synthetic materials for amendments. Waste by-products must not be hazardous or pose unacceptable risk to human health and the environment, and should be a suitable replacement for virgin and synthetic materials. This review serves to present the state of science on in situ remediation of metal-contaminated soil and sediment and the potential for beneficial usage of waste by-product materials. Not all unintended consequences can be fully understood or predicted prior to implementing a treatment option, however some realized, and potentially unrealized, benefits and unintended consequences are explored.

Chromium (VI) biosorption properties of multiple resistant bacteria isolated from industrial sewerage

Chromium (VI) [Cr (VI)] biosorption by four resistant autochthonous bacterial strains was investigated to determine their potential for use in sustainable marine water-pollution control. Maximum exchange between Cr (VI) ions and protons on the cells surfaces were at 30-35 °C, pH 2.0 and 350-450 mg/L. The bacterial strains effectively removed 79.0-90.5 % Cr (VI) ions from solution. Furthermore, 85.3-93.0 % of Cr (VI) ions were regenerated from the biomasses, and 83.4-91.7 % of the metal was adsorbed when the biomasses was reused. Langmuir isotherm performed better than Freundlich isotherm, depicting that Cr (VI) affinity was in the sequence Rhodococcus sp. AL03Ni > Burkholderia cepacia AL96Co > Corynebacterium kutscheri FL108Hg > Pseudomonas aeruginosa CA207Ni. Biosorption isotherms confirmed that Rhodococcus sp. AL03Ni was a better biosorbent with a maximum uptake of 107.46 mg of Cr (VI) per g (dry weight) of biomass. The results highlight the high potential of the organisms for bacteria-based detoxification of Cr (VI) via biosorption.

Combination of electroreduction with biosorption for enhancement for removal of hexavalent chromium

Hexavalent chromium is one of the most toxic heavy metals in aqueous solutions. It has been well documented that the brown seaweed can be used as a promising biosorbent for the sequestration of this heavy metal from wastewater. However, the uptake of Cr(VI) is reportedly a rather slower process; the sorption equilibrium can only be established after a few days, much slower than a few hours for the trivalent chromium ion. In this study, we developed a novel technology of electrochemically assisted biosorption (ECAB) system for the enhancement of the treatment efficiency. It was found through our study that the removal efficiencies of Cr(VI) and total chromium were greatly enhanced by 48.1% and 51.3%, respectively, with the application of -1.0 V in the ECAB system. The conversion of Cr(III) due to the electroreduction of Cr(VI) and the higher pH due to the cathodic H(2) evolution created a favorable condition for the uptake of chromium onto the modified seaweed (MSW). The reduction and adsorption of Cr(VI) by MSW was proved to play a minor role in the removal. Both direct electroreduction and indirect electroreduction by atomic H* contributed to the reduction of Cr(VI).

IN-AIR MICRO-PIXE ANALYSIS FOR METAL ELEMENTS IN RAT HEPATOCYTES TREATED WITH FUCOIDAN

This study was undertaken to elucidate physiological properties of fucoidan extracted from Cladosiphon okamuranus TOKITA (C. okamuranus) and Fucus vesiculosus (F.vesilurosus). According to the data on MTT assay and TUNEL staining, F. vesiculosus possessed more anti-proliferate activity than C. okamuranus through apoptosis induction. We determined the metal contents of fucoidan to evaluate the relevance of metal elements in its biological effects. Al , Fe and Zn levels were significantly increased in F. vesiculosus than in C. okamuranus. The intracellular changes of metal elements following the administration of fucoidan was analyzed by in-air micro-PIXE in TRL1215 cells (normal rat liver cell line). At 24 h after 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine ( BrdU ) dosing, TRL1215 cells were treated with 1.0 mg/mL of each fucoidan for 9 h. The X-ray spectra showed that F. vesiculosus-treated cells markedly increased the yield of aluminum ( Al ) compared to those of C. okamuranus -treated cells and the control. In F. vesiculosus -treated cells, the focal accumulation of Br was spatially correlated with Al map, suggesting that Al was localized within the nucleus. These findings suggest that F. vesiculosus fucoidan increases the accumulations of Al in rat hepatocytes, which may participate in anti-proliferate activity of this fucoidan.

Biosorption of Lanthanides from Aqueous Solutions Using Pretreated Buccinum tenuissimum Shell Biomass

Biosorption experiment from aqueous solutions containing known amount of rare earth elements (REEs) using pre-treated Buccinum tenuissimum shell was explored to evaluate the efficiency of shell biomass as sorbent for REEs. In this work, four kinds of sieved shell samples: (a) "Ground original sample", (b) "Heat-treatment (480°C, 6 hours) sample", (c) "Heat-treatment (950°C, 6 hours) sample" and (d) "Heat-treatment (950°C, 6 hours) and water added sample" were used. Furthermore, to confirm the characteristics of the shell biomass, the crystal structure, the surface morphology, and the specific surface area of these shell samples were determined. Consequently, the following matters have been mainly clarified. (1) The crystal structure of the shell biomass was transformed from aragonite (CaCO(3)) into calcite (CaCO(3)) phase by heat-treatment (480°C, 6 hours); then mainly transformed into calcium oxide (CaO) by heat-treatment (950°C, 6 hours), and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2)) by heat-treatment (950°C, 6 hours) and adding water. (2) The shell biomass showed excellent sorption capacity for lanthanides. (3) Adsorption isotherms using the shell biomass can be described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms satisfactorily for lanthanides except "heat-treatment (950°C, 6 hours) sample". (4) Shell biomass (usually treated as waste material) can be an efficient sorbent for lanthanides in future.

On the biosorption, by brown seaweed, Lobophora variegata, of Ni(II) from aqueous solutions: equilibrium and thermodynamic studies

The biosorption equilibrium isotherms of Ni(II) onto marine brown algae Lobophora variegata, which was chemically-modified by CaCl(2) were studied and modeled. To predict the biosorption isotherms and to determine the characteristic parameters for process design, twenty-three one-, two-, three-, four- and five-parameter isotherm models were applied to experimental data. The interaction among biosorbed molecules is attractive and biosorption is carried out on energetically different sites and is an endothermic process. The five-parameter Fritz-Schluender model gives the most accurate fit with high regression coefficient, R (2) (0.9911-0.9975) and F-ratio (118.03-179.96), and low standard error, SE (0.0902-0.0.1556) and the residual or sum of square error, SSE (0.0012-0.1789) values to all experimental data in comparison to other models. The biosorption isotherm models fitted the experimental data in the order: Fritz-Schluender (five-parameter) > Freundlich (two-parameter) > Langmuir (two-parameter) > Khan (three-parameter) > Fritz-Schluender (four-parameter). The thermodynamic parameters such as DeltaG (0), DeltaH (0) and DeltaS (0) have been determined, which indicates the sorption of Ni(II) onto L. variegata was spontaneous and endothermic in nature.

Silver sorption on acrylic copolymers functionalized with amines. Equilibrium and kinetic studies

The sorption capacity of three weak base ion exchangers based on acrylic copolymers functionalized with ethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine and N, N- dimethylamino propylamine for Ag(I) ions was evaluated. Adsorption experiments were carried out by batch method. The effect of pH, crosslinking degree of copolymers, amount of sorbent, initial ion concentration, contact time and temperature was studied. The parameters which characterize the retention process were estimated using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, the best fitting being for the first model. Kinetic data were fitted to pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion models. Experimental data were in good agreement with the pseudo second order.

Activation of Firmiana Simplex leaf and the enhanced Pb(II) adsorption performance: equilibrium and kinetic studies

Although various biosorbents have been reported effective to purify wastewaters containing heavy metals, the high tendency to decomposition in the environment makes them unsuitable for long-term persistent utilization. In this paper, a simple and new activation method was proposed to mineralize the Firmiana Simplex leaf (FSL) into an enhanced adsorbent for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solution. The leaves activated at various temperatures were characterized with BET N(2) adsorption test, FT-IR test and XRD test. After activation, the mass percent of inorganic components (including whewellite, quartz, phosphate and calcite) increased and the specific surface area increased from 0.08283 to 9.32 m(2)g(-1) with the increasing activation temperature (AT) from 100 to 400 degrees C. Proper activation temperature (200 degrees C) helps to preserve the beneficial groups (amine and carboxyl). The affinities of the adsorbents towards Pb(II) were increased with increasing AT from 300, 100, 200 to 400 degrees C according to the adsorption isotherms. The adsorbent activated at 200 degrees C (AL2) was found most suitable for Pb(II) adsorption regarding the high yield efficiency (36.52%), high Pb(II) adsorption capacity (136.7 mg g(-1) by Langmuir model), high adsorption affinity (H type isotherm) and rapid adsorption rate (within 20 min by kinetic study). The Pb(II) removal efficiency of AL2 was obviously affected by the solution pH rather than by the adsorbent dosage. The adsorption was viewed as a chemical process based on IR spectra along with a physical process based on the correlation between the average pore size of the adsorbent and the adsorption capacity. The activation method proposed in this paper was proved effective and potentially applicable in the treatment of Pb(II) polluted wastewaters.

Evaluation of native and chemically modified Sargassum glaucescens for continuous biosorption of Co(II)

In the present study, biosorption of stable cobalt was studied in an up-flow fixed-bed column using the brown alga Sargassum glaucescens treated with formaldehyde (FA) or MgCl2. Notable increase in cobalt removal was observed for FA-treated biosorbent with 2.7 and 1.4 times higher dynamic capacity (DC) and uptake capacity (UC) than native alga, respectively. Consequently, FA-treated S. glaucescens was selected for further investigations. In particle size experiments, the DCs of 0.5-1 and 1-2 mm particles were both equal to 27.6 mg/g, and corresponding UCs were 34 and 38 mg/g, respectively. The maximum DC was obtained at residence time of 2.5 min. Studying the effect of additional ions indicated partial effect of Na+ and K+ ions on DC and UC, Mg2+ reduced highly the DC and slightly the UC while heavy metal ions (Ni2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+ and Cr3+) caused decrease in both DC and UC about 1.5-4.7 and 1.8-3.2 times, respectively. Moreover, the column regeneration studies were carried out for four sorption-desorption cycles. The DC and the UC highly decreased in the second cycle, partially decreased or remained constant in the third and in the fourth one.

Enhancement strategies for Cu(II), Cr(III) and Cr(VI) remediation by a variety of seaweed species

Various chemical treatments have been applied to six brown, red and green seaweed species with a view to enhancing their metal removal for Cu(II), Cr(III) and Cr(VI). Treatment with acetone resulted in the greatest enhancement for both cationic and anionic species with relatively low mass losses (15-35%), indicating its low risk to biomass operational stability. Cation binding was increased by 69%, while the total Cr removal was augmented by 15%. Cr(VI) binding was shown to be an adsorption-coupled reduction, whereby Cr(VI) was bound to the biomass surface at pH 2 and subsequently reduced to Cr(III). Acetone treatment also resulted in biomasses that were capable of converting up to 83% of Cr(VI) in solution to Cr(III). Blocking of carboxyl and amino functionalities had significant negative effects both on total Cr removal as well as percentage conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Results therefore indicated the significant role played by these moieties in metal binding to these seaweeds. Potentiometric titrations displayed agreement between the degree of esterification and the decrease in Cu(II) removal for Ulva spp. and Polysiphonia lanosa. FTIR analysis identified changes in biomass functionality and availability after chemical modification, the results of which were in agreement with metal removal studies. In conclusion, these biosorbents represent suitable candidates to replace conventional removal technologies for metal bearing wastewaters, in particular for the detoxification of hazardous Cr(VI) waste streams.

Impact of ionic strength on Cd(II) partitioning between alginate gel and aqueous media

Alginate gel is representative of polysaccharide-based components of cell walls which contain a large number of negatively charged functional groups. The structural charge gives rise to a Donnan potential in the gel, which impacts significantly on the partitioning of ions between the aqueous medium and the gel. We measured the Donnan potential and partitioning of Cd2+ in alginate gel as a function of ionic strength in the range 1-100 mM. The Cd2+ partition coefficient between gel and medium, as measured by in situ microelectrode voltammetry, reaches values between 10 and 100 in the 0.1-1 mM ionic strength range, and agrees well with Donnan partition calculations based on the charge density of the gels. The total Cd(II) concentration in the gel correlates approximately linearly with the free [Cd2+]gel. The results imply that metal ion activities in the biopolymer gel phase may generally differ drastically from those in the bulk medium to an extent that strongly depends on ionic strength. This feature must be taken into account in estimations of exposure conditions for predictions of bioavailability.

Adsorption behavior of Zn(II) on calcinated Chinese loess

Chinese loess has proven to be effective in removing Zn(II) from aqueous solutions, but the resultant adsorbent-water slurry is difficult to separate. In this paper, the crude loess was calcinated to improve the separation efficiency of slurries in terms of sedimentary rate by increasing the particle sizes of the adsorbent. The sorption capacities of different sorbents, including crude loess, calcinated loess, de-organic crude loess and acid-treated calcinated loess, were obtained and sequenced. The adsorption capacity of the calcinated loess towards Zn(II) was found to be as high as 113.6 mg g(-1). The adsorption isotherms and kinetics of calcinated loess were best-fit with the Freundlich isotherm and the pseudo-second order kinetics, respectively. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that the adsorption was exothermic and spontaneous with a high preference for Zn(II) removal. The adsorption of Zn(II) on calcinated loess implies an ion exchange of the solute with calcite and goethite due to the observed FT-IR and XRD patterns as well as the predicted mean free energies (-11.58 to -9.28 kJ mol(-1) by D-R model). The byproduct of adsorption can be purified and refreshed by using a 0.01 M HCl solution.

Biosorption of total chromium from aqueous solution by red algae (Ceramium virgatum): equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies

This study focused on the biosorption of total chromium onto red algae (Ceramium virgatum) biomass from aqueous solution. Experimental parameters affecting biosorption process such as pH, contact time, biomass dosage and temperature were studied. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models were applied to describe the biosorption isotherms. Langmuir model fitted the equilibrium data better than the Freundlich isotherm. The biosorption capacity of C. virgatum biomass for total chromium was found to be 26.5mg/g at pH 1.5 and 10g/L biomass dosage, 90min equilibrium time and 20 degrees C. From the D-R isotherm model, the mean free energy was calculated as 9.7kJ/mol, indicating that the biosorption of total chromium was taken place by chemisorption. The calculated thermodynamic parameters (DeltaG degrees , DeltaH degrees and DeltaS degrees ) showed that the biosorption of total chromium onto C. virgatum biomass was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic at 20-50 degrees C. Kinetic evaluation of experimental data showed that the biosorption processes of total chromium followed well pseudo-second-order kinetics.

Review on the Removal of Metal Ions from Effluents Using Seaweeds, Alginate Derivatives and Other Sorbents

Biosorbents, especially those derived from seaweed (macroscopic algae) and alginate derivatives, exhibit high affinity for many metal ions. Because biosorbents are widely abundant (usually biodegradable) and less expensive than industrial synthetic adsorbents, they hold great potential for the removal of toxic metals from industrial effluents. Various studies have demonstrated the efficiency of living and non-living micro-organisms, such as bacteria, yeasts, moulds, micro-algae, cyanobacteria and biomass from water treatment sewage to remove metals from solution. Several types of organic and inorganic biomass have also been used as sorbent materials. In addition, by-products from the forestry industry, as well as agriculture waste and natural sorbents, have also been studied. This paper reviews and summarizes some key recent developments in these areas and it describes and discusses some specific applications of selected natural sorbents.

Intracellular changes of metal elements by fucoidan extracted from brown seaweed (Cladosiphon okamuranus)

This study was undertaken to elucidate the intracellular changes of metal elements after the administration of fucoidan extracted from Cladosiphon okamuranus. TRL1215 cells (normal rat liver cell line) were treated with 0, 0.1, or 1.0 mg/ml fucoidan and incubated in 5% CO2 at 37 degrees C. The cellular levels of Mg, Al, Fe, and Zn were significantly increased in the 1.0 mg/ml fucoidan-treated cells compared to those of the 0.1 mg/ml fucoidan-treated cells and the control. Next, TRL1215 cells were cultured on Mylar film overnight. At 24 h after 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine dosing, 0, 0.1, or 1.0 mg/ml fucoidan was treated for 9 h. The cellular distribution of elements was analyzed using in-air micro-micro-particle induced X-ray emission. The X-ray spectra showed that yields of Al, Mg, and Zn were high in order of the 1.0 mg/ml fucoidan-treated sample, the 0.1 mg/ml fucoidan-treated sample, and the control. Fe yield was mildly increased by fucoidan administration. In fucoidan-treated cells, the focal accumulation of Br was correlated spatially with phosphorous-rich region, suggesting that Br was localized within the nucleus. Al distribution provided a spatial association with Br map. These data suggest that fucoidan increases the accumulations of Al, Mg, Fe, and Zn in normal rat hepatocytes, and fucoidan-binding Al is postulated to be transferred into the nucleus.

Comparative study of chromium biosorption by red, green and brown seaweed biomass

Dried biomass of the macroalgae Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus spiralis (brown), Ulva spp. (comprising Ulva linza, Ulva compressa and Ulva intestinalis) and Ulva lactuca (green), Palmaria palmata and Polysiphonia lanosa (red) were studied in terms of their chromium biosorption performance. Metal sorption was highly pH dependent with maximum Cr(III) and Cr(VI) sorption occurring at pH 4.5 and pH 2, respectively. Extended equilibrium times were required for Cr(VI) binding over Cr(III) binding (180 and 120min, respectively) thus indicating possible disparities in binding mechanism between chromium oxidation states. The red seaweed P. palmata revealed the highest removal efficiency for both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) at low initial concentrations. However, at high initial metal concentrations F. vesiculosus had the greatest removal efficiency for Cr(III) and performed almost identically to P. lanosa in terms of Cr(VI) removal. The Langmuir Isotherm mathematically described chromium binding to the seaweeds where F. vesiculosus had the largest q(max) for Cr(III) sorption (1.21mmol g(-1)) and P. lanosa had the largest Cr(VI) uptake (0.88mmol g(-1)). P. palmata had the highest affinity for both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) binding with b values of 4.94mM(-1) and 8.64mM(-1), respectively. Fourier transform infrared analysis revealed interactions of amino, carboxyl, sulphonate and hydroxyl groups in chromium binding to Ulva spp. The remaining seaweeds showed involvement of these groups to varying degrees as well as ether group participation in the brown seaweeds and for Cr(VI) binding to the red seaweeds.

Cu sorption on Phragmites australis leaf and stem litter: a kinetic study

Decaying organic matter plays an important role in the cycling of metals in wetland ecosystems. Sorption kinetics of Cu(II) on Phragmites australis leaf and stem litter were studied. Fresh leaf and stem litter was sampled from a surface flow wetland at the end of the growing season. The effect of decomposition stage was studied with litter that had been decomposing for a period of 5 months. The Lagergren pseudo-first-order model, the pseudo-second-order model, the Elovich equation and two diffusion models based on spherical intra-particle diffusion were fitted to the experimental data. The sorption capacity was significantly affected by the decomposition of the litter. The sorption process was best described by the pseudo-second-order kinetics (R(2) approximately 0.99) but the rate constant was strongly dependent on the initial Cu concentration. The intra-particle diffusion model fitted the data only slightly less (R(2)>0.95) than the pseudo-second-order model. A theoretical comparison revealed that the good fit with the pseudo-second-order kinetics could be indicative of intra-particle diffusion. Sorption kinetics observed for the leaf and stem litter at different metal concentrations showed a fast initial sorption followed by a slow sorption phase.

Influences of macroalga-derived dissolved organic carbon on the aquatic toxicity of copper and cadmium

In this study, the effect of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) derived from macroalga (Sargassum) on the acute toxicity of copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) to a freshwater cladoceran (Daphnia magna) was investigated. Potassium-loaded macroalga was incubated with ultrapure water to extract macroalgal DOC, which was then spiked with the constituents of the Elendt M7 hard water media. The 48 h median lethal concentration of Cu increased linearly with DOC levels but that of Cd was relatively independent of DOC levels (0-44 mg l(-1)). The independence of Cd toxicity on DOC level might be due to the competitive effect of high calcium concentrations in the media with Cd for the binding sites of DOC. The decreased Cu toxicity was a result of reduced Cu uptake as evidenced in a separate accumulation test. Also, the capability of the macroalgal DOC on reducing Cu toxicity was found to be comparable to DOC tested in other studies. Therefore, the present study suggested that the biosorption treatment process using macroalgae should consider the effect of DOC release from the biomass as a step of modifying the metal toxicity as well as influencing metal biosorption capacity.