Heavy metal removal in a biosorption column by immobilized M-rouxii biomass

Mucor rouxii biomass was immobilized in a polysulfone matrix. The spherical immobilized biomass beads were packed in a column. The biosorption column was able to remove metal ions such as Pb, Cd, Ni and Zn not only from singl e-component metal solutions but also from multi-component metal solutions. Column kinetics for metal removal were described by the Thomas model. For s ingle-component metal solutions, the metal removal capacities of the beads for Pb, Cd, Ni and Zn were 4.06, 3.76, 0.36 and 1.36 mg/g, respectively. Fo r a multi-component metal solution containing Cd, Ni and Zn, the capacities were 0.36, 0.31 and 0.40 mg/g for Cd, Ni and Zn, respectively. The adsorbe d metal ions were easily desorbed from the beads with 0.05N HNO3 solution. After acid desorption and regeneration with deionized water, the beads coul d be reused to adsorb metal ions at a comparable capacity. (C) 2001 Elsevie r Science Ltd. All rights reserved.