Bacterial sorption of heavy metals. [Bacillus cereus]

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA)

OSTI ID:5869532

Mullen, M D; Wolf, D C ^[1]; Ferris, F G; Beveridge, T J; Flemming, C A ^[2]; Bailey, G W ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville (USA)
2. Univ. of Guelph, Ontario (Canada)
3. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA (USA)

Four bacteria, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were examined for the ability to remove Ag{sup +}, Cd{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, and La{sup 3+} from solution by batch equilibration methods. Cd and Cu sorption over the concentration range 0.001 to 1 mM was described by Freundlich isotherms. At 1 mM concentrations of both Cd{sup 2+} and Cu{sup 2+}, P. aeruginosa and B. cereus were the most and least efficient at metal removal, respectively. Freundlich K constants indicated that E. coli was most efficient at Cd{sup 2+} removal and B. subtilis removed the most Cu{sup 2+}. Removal of Ag{sup +} from solution by bacteria was very efficient; an average of 89% of the total Ag{sup +} was removed from the 1 mM solution, while only 12, 29, and 27% of the total Cd{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, and La{sup 3+}, respectively, were sorbed from 1 mM solutions. Electron microscopy indicated that La{sup 3+} accumulated at the cell surface as needlelike, crystalline precipitates. Silver precipitated as discrete colloidal aggregates at the cell surface and occasionally in the cytoplasm. Neither Cd{sup 2+} nor Cu{sup 2+} provided enough electron scattering to identify the location of sorption. The affinity series for bacterial removal of these metals decreased in the order Ag > La > Cu > Cd. The results indicate that bacterial cells are capable of binding large quantities of different metals.

• OSTI ID: 5869532
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA), Journal Name: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA) Vol. 55:12; ISSN 0099-2240; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540210* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
BACILLUS
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CATIONS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL WALL
CHARGED PARTICLES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
ESCHERICHIA COLI
IONS
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
PHYSIOLOGY
PSEUDOMONAS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SILVER COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS