Heavy metal biosorption using algae

Abstract

Heavy metal removal from water is essential as these toxic chemicals may enter to impasse food web and will cause severe disasters not only for human beings but also for all aquatic & non aquatic species. Many techniques have reported till date for removal of heavy metal especially from water but having their own advantages as well as disadvantages. In present work we report biosorption of Copper and Nickel by locally available contaminated mixed freshwater algae culture. In present work three algal samples were collected, in which two were from macro/sea weed origin where as another was Senedesmus species. In comparison study of Cu(II) removal it was found that, more than 95% adsorption was observed by sample 1, where as ~87% was from sample 2 and ~70% from sample 3. Approximately 25% of Nickel was also up taken by sample 3. As samples taken for observation were not isolated and purified so it is difficult to interpret best among macro/micro algal, bacterial or fungal biosorption capacity however, we conclude that even fresh water contaminated mixed algal species are a promising and cheap mean to utilize for heavy metal removal from various industrial or other wastes.