Heavy Metal Removal by the Waste Biomass of Penicillium chrysogenum

Metal sorption capacity of the granulated biosorbent derived from the waste biomass of Penicillium chrysogenum was examined. The potential metal sorption abilities of the biosorbent were estimated as the cation-exchange capacity, using a potentiometric titration. The total binding capacity, calculated for the pH range 3 to 8 was about 511 µeq/g dry weight. The granular biosorbent was capable of Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb binding. The kinetics of the heavy metal sorption were typical of the microbial dead biomass; metals were bound in the first few minutes. Sorption was a saturable process and the maximum sorption capacity, calculated from the Langmuir equation for the particular heavy metals was: 96 mg Pb; 21.5 mg Cd; 13 mg Zn and 11.7 mg Cu (per g dry weight). Optimum pH values for Cd, Zn and Cu sorption were about 7, while for Pb about 6. Heavy metal removal from different solutions was examined using the biosorption columns packed with P. chrysogenum, which efficiently removed Cd from 1 mM Cd solution, or Cd and Zn from the industrial wastewater. The studied biosorbent was capable of accumulating Cd and Zn even at the high Ca concentration.