How to completely remove Cu metal and other heavy metals? is it possible using biosorbents alone?
Hello, see info below.
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2014012134A1/en
All inside.
Good luck!
Yes, Biosorbent alone can remove copper and other metals to bring the water within drinking water acceptability limit. however the selection of biosorbent depends on the metal targeted.
Biopolymers posses a number of different functional groups, such as hydroxyls and amines, which increase the efficiency of metal ion uptake The sorption mechanisms of polysaccharide-based materials are complicated and depend on pH. Adsorption is one of the alternative treatment techniques for wastewater. In view of the disadvantages associated with conventional methods for metal removal, there is a need for alternative, cost-effective technologies. In recent years, biosorption/bioaccumulation processes have been considered as novel, economic, efficient, and eco-friendly alternative treatment technologies for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated wastewaters generated from various industries. Biosorbents alone might not remove all the metals, but they certainly present a novel method that can clean up all priority toxic metal, including copper, in the environment. See the attached documents, please.
Hello, see info below.
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2014012134A1/en
All inside.
Good luck!
Biosorption is your sure bet, considering it numerous advantages
Biosorption is your sure bet, considering it numerous advantages
Biosorption method is very useful tool for the removal of heavy metals from water. A variety of biomaterials are known to bind pollutants including bacteria, fungi, algae, and certain industrial and agricultural wastes .
Hi Abhilasha Rangi ,
I agree with Dr Sudhir Kumar Srivastava however I would like to expand on that answer.
Removing copper from water for toxicity purposes is obviously desirable, however it's also worth remembering that copper has monetary value, particularly in the context of mining.
While biosorbents (which can be live or dead bacteria) are often useful, it may be worth looking into copper hyperaccumulating bacteria and/or fungi. These are already used in the mining industry and can tolerate extremely high concentrations of copper (in the mM range). They are able to thrive in such scenarios and because live cells are heavier than water they can be separated using gravimetric techniques or via large scale centrifugation (which many mining facilities and water treatment facilities already carry out).
This biomass, or sludge, can be recovered and the metals can be obtained by burning off the biomass or through chemical leaching techniques (although the latter produced acidic waste as a byproduct that requires additional management). The other benefit is that copper is an essential nutrient among other metals that may be targeted for removal, such as zinc, cobalt, and nickle that can also be recovered as metals of value.
That being said, biosorbents are not always a sure thing, nor your best bet. It really depends on the combination of the system you are studying, the combination of biosorbents/microbes being employed, your ability to monitor their performance (which could be a separate discussion in itself) and of course, the regulation in the region you are working in. Many countries have strict environmental regulations for water treatment technology, particularly in the context of drinking water and robust validation steps are required before such solutions can be used at scale.
I hope this helps, and I look forward to continuing this discussion further!
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