Cadmium Removal by Two Strains of Desmodesmus pleiomorphus Cells
2010
Monteiro, Cristina M. | Castro, Paula M. L. | Malcata, F Xavier
The capacity of microalgae to accumulate heavy metals has been widely investigated for its potential applications in wastewater (bio)treatment. In this study, the ability of Desmodesmus pleiomorphus (strain L), a wild strain isolated from a polluted environment, to remove Cd from aqueous solutions was studied, by exposing its biomass to several Cd concentrations. Removal from solution reached a maximum of 61.2 mg Cd g⁻¹ biomass by 1 day, at the highest initial supernatant concentration used (i.e., 5.0 mg Cd L⁻¹), with most metal being adsorbed onto the cell surface. Metal removal by D. pleiomorphus (strain ACOI 561), a commercially available ecotype, was also assessed for comparative purposes; a removal of 76.4 mg Cd g⁻¹ biomass was attained by 1 day for the same initial metal concentration. Assays for metal removal using thermally inactivated cells were also performed; the maximum removal extent observed was 47.1 mg Cd g⁻¹ biomass, at the initial concentration of 5 mg Cd L⁻¹. In experiments conducted at various pH values, the highest removal was achieved at pH 4.0. Both microalga strains proved their feasibility as biotechnological tools to remove Cd from aqueous solution.
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