Removal of heavy metals using a brewer's yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: The flocculation as a separation process

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

Manuela D. Machado (Author) Other; Mónica S. F. Santos (Author) FEUP; Claúdia Gouveia (Author) Other; Helena M. V. M. Soares (Author) FEUP; Eduardo V. Soares (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Bioresource Technology

Vol. 99

Pages: 2107-2115

ISSN: 0960-8524

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 94 Citations

Scopus - 108 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-ZJ1

DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2007.05.047

Abstract (EN): In this work, a brewer's yeast strain was used to remove heavy metals from a synthetic effluent. The solid-liquid separation process was carried out using the flocculation ability of the strain. The yeast strain was able to sediment in the presence Of Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+ Cd3+ and Cr3+, which evidences that the flocculation can be used as a cheap and natural separation process for an enlarged range of industrial effluents. For a biomass concentration higher than 0.5 g/l, more than 95% of the cells were settled after 5 min; this fact shows that the auto-aggregation of yeast biomass is a rapid and efficient separation process. Cells inactivated at 45 degrees C maintain the sedimentation characteristics, while cells inactivated at 80 degrees C lose partially (40%) the flocculation. The passage of metal-loaded effluent through a series of sequential batches allowed, after the second batch, the reduction of the Ni2+ concentration in solution for values below the legal limit of discharge of wastewater in natural waters (2 mg/l); this procedure corresponds to a removal of 91%. A subsequent batch had a marginal effect on Ni2+ removal (96%). Together, the results obtained suggest that the use of brewing flocculent biomass looks a promising alternative in the bioremediation of metal-loaded industrial effluents since the removal of the heavy metals and cell separation are simultaneously achieved.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9