Bacterial sorption of heavy metals

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6905495

Mullen, M D; Wolf, D C; Ferris, F G; Beveridge, T J; Flemming, C A

Four bacteria, Bacillus cereus, B. 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, whereas 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 cytoplasma. The results indicate that bacterial cells are capable of binding large quantities of different metals.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA (USA). Environmental Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6905495
• Report Number(s): PB-90-200692/XAB; EPA--600/J-89/319
• 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.
BACILLUS
BACILLUS CEREUS
BACILLUS SUBTILIS
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLEANING
COPPER COMPOUNDS
DECOMPOSITION
DECONTAMINATION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ESCHERICHIA COLI
GROWTH
IONS
ISOTHERMS
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
MICROSCOPY
PSEUDOMONAS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SILVER COMPOUNDS
SOILS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS