Impact of fluorides on the removal of heavy metals from an electroplating effluent using a flocculent brewer's yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

Machado, MD (Author) Other; Soares, EV (Author) Other; Helena Soares (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability

Vol. 23

Pages: 237-242

ISSN: 0954-2299

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 3 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 3 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences

CORDIS: Technological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-Y6C

DOI: 10.3184/095422911x13201614845796

Abstract (EN): Besides several toxic heavy metals, electroplating effluents can have in solution different cations and anions, which may influence heavy metals removal by the biomass. Among them, fluorides are commonly used in the electroplating industries and thus can be found in the respective wastewaters. In the present work, the effect of the presence of fluorides in the efficiency of chromium(III), copper(II) and nickel(II) removal, from an effluent, by heat-inactivated cells of a brewing flocculent strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was evaluated. The presence of fluorides severely decreased (>60%) the removal of chromium(III) by yeast biomass. This effect impaired the effective treatment of the effluent according to the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Portuguese law; conversely, a higher removal of copper(II) and nickel(II) was observed. This behaviour can be understood by metal speciation. In the presence of fluorides, chromium(III) was mainly complexed, becoming unavailable for yeast accumulation; this effect decreased the efficiency of chromium(III) removal. Thus, in the presence of fluorides, less chromium(III) is associated with biomass and consequently more yeast binding sites remain available for the uptake of other metals present in solution. This fact explains the increase of copper(II) and nickel(II) removal in the presence of fluorides.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6