Sorption of heavy metals by the soil fungi 'Aspergillus niger' and Mucor rouxii

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5146637

Mullen, M D; Wolf, D C; Beveridge, T J; Bailey, G W

Sorption of the nitrate salts of cadmium(II), copper(II), lanthanum(III) and silver(I) by two fungi, Aspergillus niger and Mucor rouxii, was evaluated using Freundlich adsorption isotherms and energy dispersive X-ray electron microscopy. The linearized Freundlich isotherm described the metal sorption data well for metal concentrations of 5 microM-1 mM metal. Differences in metal binding were observed among metals, as well as between fungal species. Calculated Freundlich K values indicated that metal binding decreased in the order La(3+) > or = Ag(+) > Cu(2+) > Cd(2+). However, sorption of Ag(+) was greater than that of La(3+) from solutions of 0.1 and 1 mM metal and likely due to precipitation at the cell wall surface. At the 1 mM initial concentration, there were no significant differences between the two fungi in metal sorption, except for Ag(+) binding. At the 5 microM concentration, there was no difference between the fungi in their sorption capacities for the four metals. Electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis indicated that silver precipitated onto cells as colloidal silver. The results indicate that Freundlich isotherms may be useful for describing short-term metal sorption by fungal biomass and for comparison with other soil constituents in standardized systems. (Copyright (c) 1992 Pergamon Press plc.)

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA (United States). Environmental Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5146637
• Report Number(s): PB-92-179811/XAB; EPA--600/J-92/155
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ADSORPTION ISOTHERMS
BIODEGRADATION
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
CADMIUM
CHEMICAL BONDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLEANING
COLLOIDS
COPPER
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
FUNGI
GENETIC VARIABILITY
ISOTHERMS
LAND POLLUTION
LANTHANUM
METALS
MICROSCOPY
PLANTS
POLLUTION
RARE EARTHS
SILVER
SOILS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS