Biosorbents

The porosity and permeability of CP are the most important factors determining their ability to sorb and immobilize BAS. For solving these problems, it was necessary to synthesize various types of porous and permeable CP differing in the mobility of elements of the crosslinked structure and in the rigidity of the polymer backbone. For biological problems related to the application of CP as biosorbents, it has been found necessary to use CP with a marked structural inhomogeneity. 

Table 7. Thermodynamic functions of the interaction between proteins and heteroreticular highly permeable Biocarb-T-biosorbent (MA-HHTT copolymer)...

High sorption capacities with respect to protein macromolecules are observed when highly permeable macro- and heteroreticular polyelectrolytes (biosorbents) are used. In buffer solutions a typical picture of interaction between ions with opposite charges fixed on CP and counterions in solution is observed. As shown in Fig. 13, in the acid range proteins are not bonded by carboxylic CP because the ionization of their ionogenic groups is suppressed. The amount of bound protein decreases at high pH values of the solution because dipolar ions proteins are transformed into polyanions and electrostatic repulsion is operative. The sorption maximum is either near the isoelectric point of the protein or depends on the ratio of the pi of the protein to the pKa=0 5 of the carboxylic polyelectrolyte [63]. It should be noted that this picture may be profoundly affected by the mechanism of interaction between CP and dipolar ions similar to that describedby Eq. (3.7). 

Fig. 15. Cooperative effect of bonding of organic ions on Biocarb-T biosorbent A. 0.1 N NaCl in water B, 0.1 N NaCl in methanol. For l) novocain, 2) oleandomycin and 3) oxytetracycline...

The stability of the enzyme-polymer complex and its dissociation upon the variation of pH depends on the structural and other physico-chemical properties of CP and enzyme molecule. Thus, a Biocarb-T heteroreticular biosorbent (Fig. 26) is characterized by a stability of its complex with ot-amylase (under the condition of its stabilization) in acid solutions and a complete dissociation of the complex during isolation of the active enzyme at pH 7-8. 

Preparative Selective High-Capacity Ion-Exchange Chromatography of Biologically Active Compounds on Crosslinked Polyelectrolytes (Biosorbents)... 

Fig. 30. Chromatographic separation of 1) acid and 2) neutral proteases (Bac. Subtilis) on Biocarb-T biosorbent. A. proteolytic activity units/ml —o— B. protein concentration (E28o) — —...

These ideas and methods of preparative selective up-scale chromatography suggest that the use of new types of biosorbents and, in particular cellosorbents, and the application of theoretically based conditions for stepwise desorption of the components is an important new approach to preparative chromatography. 

Biosorbent Heavy metal Biosorption heat (kcal-mol" )... 

The fermentation wastes Corynebacterium glutamicum biomass) were obtained in a dried powder form from a lysine fermentation industry (BASF-Korea, Kunsan, Korea). The protonated biomass was prepared by treating the raw biomass with a 1 N HNO3 solution for 24 h, thereby replacing the natural mix of ionic species with protons. The resulting C glutamicum biomass was dried and stored in a desiccator and used as a biosorbent for the sorption experiments. 

Standards imposed to the industrial waste streams charged in heavy metals are more and more drastic in accordance with the updated knowledges of the toxicity of mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium... when they enter the human food chain after accumulating in plants and animals (Forster Wittmann, 1983). Nowadays, the use of biosorbents (Volesky, 1990) is more and more considered to complete conventional (physical and chemical) methods of removal that have shown their limits and/or are prohibitively expensive for metal concentrations typically below 100 mg.l-i. 

FIGURE 10.2 Preparation and operative stages in rhizofiltration, lagoons, CWs, and biosorbent-based systems. 

Recent reports on biosorbents based on diverse types of macrophytes are found widely in the literature. Free-floating aquatic plants from the genera Salvinia, Azolla, Eichhornia, Lemna, and Pistia have been described the most. S. natans biomass was able to uptake As(V) at low initial concentrations from 0.25 to 2 mg/L (74.8% and 54%, respectively). The experimental data fitted well to both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The effect of pH and biomass quantities on sorption rate has also been investigated along with some metabolic parameters.105... 

Less complex techniques have been reported to be useful to study the acidic and alkaline treatment processes of biosorbents and the role of carboxyl and carboxylate groups in metal adsorption. Rakhshaee and coworkers101 used potentiometric titration curves to assess the content of such groups in L. minor biomass treated with NaOH and HC1. The results showed an increase (up to 25%) in the adsorption of Hg(II), Cr(III), Cr(VI), and Cu(II) with NaOH-treated biomass as a consequence of an increase of -COO- groups (0.92-2.42 mmol/g). On the contrary, the -COOH groups increase observed (1.50-2.41 mmol/g) due to the acidic treatment led to a decrease in the metal ions uptake (up to 33%) despite activation by the chloride salts. 

Regarding submerged plants, sorption of Cu(II) by Myriophyllum spicatum L. (Eurasian water milfoil) has been shown to be fast and fits isotherm models such as Langmuir, Temkin, and Redlich-Peterson. The maximum sorption capacity (c/lll l j ) of copper onto M. spicatum L. was 10.80 mg/g, while the overall sorption process was best described by the pseudo-second-order equation.115 Likewise, Hydrilla verticillata has been described as an excellent biosorbent for Cd(II). In batch conditions, the qmsx calculated was 15.0 mg/g. Additionally, II. verticillata biomass was capable of decreasing Cd(II) concentration from 10 to a value below the detection limit of 0.02 mg/L in continuous flow studies (fixed-bed column). It was also found that the Zn ions affected Cd(II) biosorption.116... 

Other aquatic weeds such as reed mat, mangrove (leaves), and water lily (Nymphaceae family plants) have been found to be promising biosorbents for chromium removal. The highest Cr(III) adsorption capacity was exhibited by reed mat (7.18 mg/g), whereas for Cr(VI), mangrove leaves showed maximum removal capacity (8.87 mg/g) followed by water lily (8.44 mg/g). It is interesting to mention that Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III), with the help of tannin, phenolic compounds, and other functional groups on the biosorbent, and subsequently adsorbed. Unlike the results discussed previously for the use of acidic treatments, in this case, such treatments significantly increased the Cr(VI) removal capacity of the biosorbents, whereas the alkali treatment reduced it.118... 

Lichen biomass from Parmelina and Cladonia genera have resulted good biosorbents of Pb(II), Cr(III), and Ni(II) ions. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models... 

Oliveira, W.E., Franca, A.S., Oliveira, L.S., and Rocha, S.D., Untreated coffee husks as biosorbents for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 152, 1073-1081, 2008. 

Lloyd-Jones, P.J., Rangel-Mendez, J.R., and Streat, M., Mercury sorption from aqueous solution by chelating ion exchange resins, activated carbon and a biosorbent, Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 82 (4), 301-311, 2004. 

Biosorption strategies consist of a group of applications involving the detoxification of hazardous substances such as heavy metals instead of transferring them from one medium to another by means of biosorbents, which may be either microbes or plants. Biosorption options are generally characterized as being less disruptive and may henceforth be carried out on-site, thereby eliminating the need to transport the toxic materials to treatment sites.12 Biosorption is a very cost-effective method... 

In a separate study, Igwe and Abia46 determined the equilibrium adsorption isotherms of Cd(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) ions and detoxification of wastewater using unmodified and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)-modified maize husks as a biosorbent. This study established that maize husks are excellent adsorbents for the removal of these metal ions, with the amount of metal ions adsorbed increasing as the initial concentrations increased. The study further established that EDTA modification of maize husks enhances the adsorption capacity of maize husks, which is attributed to the chelating ability of EDTA. Therefore, this study demonstrates that maize husks, which are generally considered as biomass waste, may be used as adsorbents for heavy metal removal from wastewater streams from various industries and would therefore find application in various parts of the world where development is closely tied to affordable cost as well as environmental cleanliness.46... 

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