Heavy Metals Removal by Biosorbents

Dear Colleagues,

Biosorption is the ability of biological materials to accumulate pollutants (mainly metals) from waters. The main absorption process occurs due to physicochemical interactions with the cellular structure of the biosorbent, the cytoplasmic membrane, and extracellular substances. The interaction is mainly attributed to the negative charge of these surface structures. Protein molecules and functional groups can serve as metal-binding sites in the cell wall. The biosorption of metals from solutions has been known for a long time. Microorganisms are used to extract from diluted solutions up to 100% of Pb, Hg, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, Cr, and U. Microscopic fungi make it possible to extract from gold and silver refining solutions up to 96–98% of Au and Ag, up to 84% of Pt, and 92% of Pd. Bacteria can remove up to 81% of U and 93% of Se from effluents under anaerobic conditions. Algae are also effective in the biosorption of metals from solutions, and bacterial polysaccharides are effective in purifying solutions from radioactive elements Cu and Cd. During the sorption of metals from solutions, they accumulate in the biomass (30% of the dry biomass for Ag, 15% for U).

Biosorbents include various biologically active cells, both living and dead, namely bacteria, algae, plants, fungi, etc. Waste is often used as a raw material for biosorbents, which significantly reduces the cost of biosorbent and the purification process. The efficiency of biosorption is influenced by many factors (pH, temperature, biomass concentration, the nature of the metal cation, and others).

The scientific directions that consider the mechanisms of biosorption, factors affecting the efficiency of biosorption, and technologies for creating new biosorbents from various materials are very relevant. They will expand the scientific field of biosorption and create new, promising, cost-effective technologies for the purification of water and wastewater.

Scientific directions include:

1- Creation of new biosorption materials for the extraction of heavy metal ions and their biosorption properties;

2- Immobilization of the process of biosorption of heavy metal ions;

3- Chitin, chitosan, and materials based on them for the biosorption of heavy metal ions;

4- Microalgae, cyanobacteria, and materials based on them for the biosorption of heavy metal ions;

5- Microscopic fungi and materials based on them for the biosorption of heavy metal ions;

6 - Biomining of valuable metals (Au, Ag, Pt, Pd).

Guest Editor

Prof. Dr. Natalia Politaeva
Guest Editor

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• biosorption
• heavy metal
• biosorbent
• bioremediation
• biomass
• response surface methodology
• agricultural waste
• bioaccumulation
• toxic metal