Biosorption: a solution to pollution?

• Regine H. S. F. Vieira ^[1] ; Boya Volesky ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidade Federal do Ceará

     Universidade Federal do Ceará

     Brasil

     
  2. [2] McGill University

     McGill University

     Canadá

     
• Localización: International microbiology: official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology, ISSN 1139-6709, Vol. 3, Nº. 1, 2000, págs. 17-24
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • To solve the water pollution problem by toxic heavy metal contamination resulting from humans technological activities has for long presented a challenge. Biosorption can be a part of the solution. Some types of biosorbents such as seaweeds, molds, yeasts, bacteria or crab shells are examples of biomass tested for metal biosorption with very encouraging results. The uptake of heavy metals by biomass can in some cases reach up to 50% of the biomass dry weight. New biosorbents can be manipulated for better efficiency and multiple re-use to increase their economic attractiveness.