Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental and Green Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2021) | Viewed by 29153

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Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidade da Coruña, 15008 A Coruña, Spain
Interests: biosorption; bioremediation; microalgae; toxicity
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Dear Colleagues,

Biosorption is a physicochemical process through which a material of biological origin accumulates pollutants, causing its removal from a medium. Today this process is considered as an alternative method to conventional wastewater treatment techniques. The main advantages it offers are its low cost (many are waste materials), the abundance and diversity of possible materials suitable for this use, and especially because it is considered as an environmentally friendly technique. For these reasons, interest in the investigation of the use of biomaterials as biosorbents of organic and inorganic pollutants has increased in recent years. The search for new biosorbents that are more effective and with good biotechnological characteristics is essential for the development of techniques based on biosorption.

This Special Issue on “Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment” aims to assess recent trends, new developments, and applications in biosorption. The contents of this Special Issue may cover the use and characterization of new biosorbents (dead biomass or living biomass) that demonstrate superior effectiveness to others already described or in use, including the possible use of biopolymers for this purpose. It could also cover the use of immobilized cells in real biosorption processes and biosorption in municipal wastewater treatment, with special attention to its actual application, either as a single treatment or as a combined treatment.

Prof. Dr. Jose Enrique Torres Vaamonde
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Keywords

  • biosorption
  • wastewater treatment
  • biopolymers
  • immobilized cells
  • biomass

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 180 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue “Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment”
by José Enrique Torres Vaamonde
Processes 2022, 10(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10010022 - 23 Dec 2021
Viewed by 1761
Abstract
The interest in the use of biosorption for the elimination of pollutants is because this technique is an efficient and environmentally friendly process, constituting an alternative to the so-called conventional treatment processes [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment)

Research

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13 pages, 4182 KiB  
Article
Green Synthesis of A Novel MXene–CS Composite Applied in Treatment of Cr(VI) Contaminated Aqueous Solution
by Hongyou Wan, Lan Nan, Huikai Geng, Wei Zhang and Huanhuan Shi
Processes 2021, 9(3), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9030524 - 14 Mar 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2908
Abstract
The considerable amount of Cr(VI) pollutants in the aqueous environment is a significant environmental concern that cannot be ignored. A series of novel Mxene–CS inorganic–organic composite nanomaterials synthesized by using the solution reaction method was applied to treat the Cr(VI) contaminated water. The [...] Read more.
The considerable amount of Cr(VI) pollutants in the aqueous environment is a significant environmental concern that cannot be ignored. A series of novel Mxene–CS inorganic–organic composite nanomaterials synthesized by using the solution reaction method was applied to treat the Cr(VI) contaminated water. The Mxene–CS composites were characterized through SEM (scanning electron microscope), XRD (X–ray diffraction), XPS (X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy), and FTIR (Fourier transform infrared). The XRD patterns (observed at 2θ of 18.1°, 35.8°, 41.5°, and 60.1°) and the FT–IR spectra (-NH2 group for 1635 and 1517 cm−1, and -OH group for 3482 cm−1) illustrated that CS was successfully loaded on the Mxene. The effects of solution pH, the dosage of Mxene–CS, and duration time on the adsorption of Cr(VI) by synthesized Mxene–CS were investigated. The removal efficiency of Cr(VI) was increased from 12.9% to 40.5% with Mxene–CS dosage ranging from 0.02 to 0.12 g/L. The adsorption process could be well fitted by the pseudo–second–order kinetics model, indicating chemisorption occurred. The Langmuir isotherm model could be better to describe the process with a maximum adsorption capacity of 43.1 mg/g. The prepared novel Mxene–CS composite was considered as an alternative for adsorption of heavy metals from wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment)
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13 pages, 1407 KiB  
Article
Batch and Fixed-Bed Biosorption of Pb (II) Using Free and Alginate-Immobilized Spirulina
by Maria Villen-Guzman, Carlos Jiménez and Jose Miguel Rodriguez-Maroto
Processes 2021, 9(3), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9030466 - 5 Mar 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
The valorization of Spirulina as a potential biosorption material to treat contaminated wastewater was evaluated. Batch experiments were conducted to study the influence of pH value and ionic strength on the biosorption capacity of Spirulina. Higher removal capacity was observed at pH [...] Read more.
The valorization of Spirulina as a potential biosorption material to treat contaminated wastewater was evaluated. Batch experiments were conducted to study the influence of pH value and ionic strength on the biosorption capacity of Spirulina. Higher removal capacity was observed at pH 5.2, while higher ionic strength was found to result in lower adsorption capacity, which suggests that ion exchange is a relevant mechanism for Pb (II) adsorption on Spirulina. The immobilization of Spirulina on alginate beads was found not only to increase the adsorption capacity, but also to overcome limitations such as unacceptable pressure drops on column systems. The Langmuir model was the most appropriate model to describe the biosorption equilibrium of lead by free and immobilized Spirulina. The experimental breakthrough curves were evaluated using the Thomas, Bohart-Adams, and dose-response models. The experimental results were most properly described by the dose-response model, which is consistent with previous results. The adsorption capacity of Spirulina was found to increase linearly with the influent lead concentration (in the range 4–20 mg L−1) at 1.6 mL min−1 flow rate. Batch and column experiments were compared to better understand the biosorption process. The promising results obtained indicate the potential use of Spirulina immobilized on alginate beads to treat industrial wastewater polluted with toxic metals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment)
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17 pages, 632 KiB  
Article
Effect of Ionic Strength and Coexisting Ions on the Biosorption of Divalent Nickel by the Acorn Shell of the Oak Quercus crassipes Humb. & Bonpl.
by Erick Aranda-García, Griselda Ma. Chávez-Camarillo and Eliseo Cristiani-Urbina
Processes 2020, 8(10), 1229; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8101229 - 1 Oct 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2239
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of ionic strength and background electrolytes on the biosorption of Ni2+ from aqueous solutions by the acorn shell of Quercus crassipes Humb. & Bonpl. (QCS). A NaCl ionic strength of 0.2 mM was established to have no [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effect of ionic strength and background electrolytes on the biosorption of Ni2+ from aqueous solutions by the acorn shell of Quercus crassipes Humb. & Bonpl. (QCS). A NaCl ionic strength of 0.2 mM was established to have no effect on the Ni2+ biosorption and the biosorption capacity of the heavy metal decreased as the ionic strength increased from 2 to 2000 mM. The background electrolytes (KCl, NaNO3, Na2SO4, CaCl2, MgSO4, and MgCl2) had no adverse effects on the biosorption of Ni2+ at a concentration of 0.2 mM. However, at background electrolyte concentrations of 2 and 20 mM, divalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) had greater negative effects on the biosorption of Ni2+ compared to the monovalent cations (Na+ and K+). Additionally, the SO42− and Cl anions affected the biosorption of Ni2+. The fractional power, Elovich, and pseudo-second order models represented the kinetic processes of the biosorption of Ni2+ adequately. The results show that QCS can be a promising and low-cost biosorbent for removing Ni2+ ions from aqueous solutions containing various types of impurities with different concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment)
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17 pages, 1568 KiB  
Article
Treatment of Landfill Leachate Using Palm Oil Mill Effluent
by Tawfiq J. H. Banch, Marlia M. Hanafiah, Salem S. Abu Amr, Abbas F. M. Alkarkhi and Mohammed Hasan
Processes 2020, 8(5), 601; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8050601 - 18 May 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3065
Abstract
Sanitary landfilling is the most common method of removing urban solid waste in developing countries. Landfills contain high levels of organic materials, ammonia, and heavy metals, thereby producing leachate which causes a possible future pollution of ground and surface water. Recently, agricultural waste [...] Read more.
Sanitary landfilling is the most common method of removing urban solid waste in developing countries. Landfills contain high levels of organic materials, ammonia, and heavy metals, thereby producing leachate which causes a possible future pollution of ground and surface water. Recently, agricultural waste was considered a co-substratum to promote the biodegradation of organics in industrial wastewater. The use of low-cost and natural materials for wastewater treatment is now being considered by many researchers. In this study, palm oil mill effluent (POME) was used for treating stabilized leachate from old landfill. A set of preliminary experiments using different POME/leachate ratios and aeration times was performed to identify the setting of experimental design and optimize the effect of employing POME on four responses: chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), color, and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N). The treatment efficiency was evaluated based on the removal of four selected (responses) parameters. The optimum removal efficiency for COD, TSS, color, and NH3-N was 87.15%, 65.54%, 52.78%, and 91.75%, respectively, using a POME/leachate mixing ratio of 188.32 mL/811.68 mL and 21 days of aeration time. The results demonstrate that POME-based agricultural waste can be effectively employed for organic removal from leachate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment)
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Review

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40 pages, 17363 KiB  
Review
Biotransformation of Citrus Waste-II: Bio-Sorbent Materials for Removal of Dyes, Heavy Metals and Toxic Chemicals from Polluted Water
by Neelima Mahato, Pooja Agarwal, Debananda Mohapatra, Mukty Sinha, Archana Dhyani, Brajesh Pathak, Manwendra K. Tripathi and Subramania Angaiah
Processes 2021, 9(9), 1544; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9091544 - 30 Aug 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4174
Abstract
Industrial processes and anthropogenic activities generate huge amounts of wastes in the form of chemicals, such as heavy metals, dyes, fertilizers, pharmaceutically active chemicals, battery effluents and so on. When these chemicals are left untreated and discarded in the ground or surface waters, [...] Read more.
Industrial processes and anthropogenic activities generate huge amounts of wastes in the form of chemicals, such as heavy metals, dyes, fertilizers, pharmaceutically active chemicals, battery effluents and so on. When these chemicals are left untreated and discarded in the ground or surface waters, they not only cause pollution and harm the ecosystem but also cause toxic effects on the health of human beings, animals and food crops. There are several methods of removal of these toxic materials from the wastewaters, and adsorption by bio-sorbents has been demonstrated as one of the most inexpensive, efficient and convenient methods. Citrus is one of the largest grown fruit crops in the tropical and subtropical regions on the planet. After processing of the fruits at food processing industries, approximately half of the fruit mass is discarded as waste, which causes a number of pollution problems. Alternately, this biomass can be converted to bio-sorbents for the removal of harmful and toxic chemicals from the industrial effluents and wastewaters. The first part of this article contains a thorough review on the biotransformation of citrus waste for the production of biofuel and valuable compounds by fermentation involving microorganisms. The second and concluding part reviews the recent progress in biotransformation of citrus waste biomass (that may be remaining post-extraction of valuable compounds/biofuel generation) into efficient adsorbent substrate materials and their adsorption capacities. The article also includes the details of the synthesis process and mechanisms of adsorption processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment)
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23 pages, 382 KiB  
Review
Biosorption: A Review of the Latest Advances
by Enrique Torres
Processes 2020, 8(12), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8121584 - 1 Dec 2020
Cited by 113 | Viewed by 11849
Abstract
Biosorption is a variant of sorption techniques in which the sorbent is a material of biological origin. This technique is considered to be low cost and environmentally friendly, and it can be used to remove pollutants from aqueous solutions. The objective of this [...] Read more.
Biosorption is a variant of sorption techniques in which the sorbent is a material of biological origin. This technique is considered to be low cost and environmentally friendly, and it can be used to remove pollutants from aqueous solutions. The objective of this review is to report on the most significant recent works and most recent advances that have occurred in the last couple of years (2019–2020) in the field of biosorption. Biosorption of metals and organic compounds (dyes, antibiotics and other emerging contaminants) is considered in this review. In addition, the use and possibilities of different forms of biomass (live or dead, modified or immobilized) are also considered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Biosorption in Wastewater Treatment)
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