Title: Immobilised microbial reactor for heavy metal pollution control

Authors: Ligy Philip, Leela lyengar, C. Venkobachar

Addresses: Research Scholar, Environmental Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Kanpur 208 016, India. ' Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Kanpur 208 016, India. ' Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Kanpur 208 016, India

Abstract: The copper removal potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa immobilised on different adsorbent resins has been studied. Duolite S-761 was found to be the most suitable matrix for bacterial immobilisation. Column studies were conducted using virgin as well as bacteria-immobilised resin. The experimental results reveal that resin with immobilised cells as sorbent increased the column capacity by more than 100%. Sorbed copper (II) could be desorbed using citrate buffer, and the bacteria immobilised reactor could be reused for removal of copper(II) with more than 90% efficiency. Further, the immobilised microbes were found to be viable. Hydrochloric acid (0.1 N) was able to desorb almost 100% of the sorbed metal, but the viability of the cells was affected, as expected.

Keywords: desorption; heavy metals; bacterial immobilisation; microbial reactors; microbial viability; copper removal; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; environmental pollution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.1996.028276

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 1996 Vol.6 No.2/3, pp.277 - 284

Published online: 16 Sep 2009 *

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