Heavy metal removal and recovery using microorganisms
Abstract
Microorganisms -- bacteria, fungi, and microalgae -- can accumulate relatively large amounts of toxic heavy metals and radionuclides from the environment. These organisms often exhibit specificity for particular metals. The metal content of microbial biomass can be a substantial fraction of total dry weight with concentration factors (metal in dry biomass to metal in solution) exceeding one million in some cases. Both living and inert (dead) microbial biomass can be used to reduce heavy metal concentrations in contaminated waters to very low levels -- parts per billion and even lower. In many respects (e.g. specificity, residual metal concentrations, accumulation factors, and economics) microbial bioremoval processes can be superior to conventional processes, such as ion exchange and caustic (lime or hydroxide) precipitation for heavy metals removal from waste and contaminated waters. Thus, bioremoval could be developed to contribute to the clean-up of wastes at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and other DOE facilities. However, the potential advantages of bioremoval processes must still be developed into practical operating systems. A detailed review of the literature suggests that appropriate bioremoval processes could be developed for the SRS. There is great variability from one biomass source to another in bioremoval capabilities. Bioremoval is affectedmore »
- Authors:
-
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
- Benemann (J.R.), Pinole, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5671763
- Report Number(s):
- WSRC-TR-90-175-Vol.1
ON: DE92010044
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-89SR18035
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; MICROORGANISMS; SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT; WASTE WATER; DEMETALLIZATION; CADMIUM; EFFICIENCY; ION EXCHANGE; MERCURY; METALS; RADIOISOTOPES; REMOVAL; WATER TREATMENT; ZINC; ELEMENTS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; ISOTOPES; LIQUID WASTES; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; SEPARATION PROCESSES; US AEC; US DOE; US ERDA; US ORGANIZATIONS; WASTES; WATER; 052001* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing; 550700 - Microbiology
Citation Formats
Wilde, E W, and Benemann, J R. Heavy metal removal and recovery using microorganisms. United States: N. p., 1991.
Web. doi:10.2172/5671763.
Wilde, E W, & Benemann, J R. Heavy metal removal and recovery using microorganisms. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5671763
Wilde, E W, and Benemann, J R. Fri .
"Heavy metal removal and recovery using microorganisms". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5671763. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5671763.
@article{osti_5671763,
title = {Heavy metal removal and recovery using microorganisms},
author = {Wilde, E W and Benemann, J R},
abstractNote = {Microorganisms -- bacteria, fungi, and microalgae -- can accumulate relatively large amounts of toxic heavy metals and radionuclides from the environment. These organisms often exhibit specificity for particular metals. The metal content of microbial biomass can be a substantial fraction of total dry weight with concentration factors (metal in dry biomass to metal in solution) exceeding one million in some cases. Both living and inert (dead) microbial biomass can be used to reduce heavy metal concentrations in contaminated waters to very low levels -- parts per billion and even lower. In many respects (e.g. specificity, residual metal concentrations, accumulation factors, and economics) microbial bioremoval processes can be superior to conventional processes, such as ion exchange and caustic (lime or hydroxide) precipitation for heavy metals removal from waste and contaminated waters. Thus, bioremoval could be developed to contribute to the clean-up of wastes at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and other DOE facilities. However, the potential advantages of bioremoval processes must still be developed into practical operating systems. A detailed review of the literature suggests that appropriate bioremoval processes could be developed for the SRS. There is great variability from one biomass source to another in bioremoval capabilities. Bioremoval is affected by pH, other ions, temperature, and many other factors. The biological (living vs. dead) and physical (immobilized vs. dispersed) characteristics of the biomass also greatly affect metal binding. Even subtle differences in the microbial biomass, such as the conditions under which it was cultivated, can have major effects on heavy metal binding.},
doi = {10.2172/5671763},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5671763},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1991},
month = {2}
}