title: Biosorption of copper and zinc by Cymodocea nodosa.
abstract: The adsorption of the two metal ions Cu and Zn in a single-component system by Cymodocea nodosa, a brown alga, under different pH conditions was investigated. The solution pH significantly affected the exhibited uptake, being maximum at a pH value of 4.5. Multi-component mixture biosorption in aqueous solutions is also reported. A comparison was made between the single-component saturation uptake and the multi-component uptakes. To evaluate the two-metal sorption system performance, simple isotherm curves had to be replaced by three-dimensional sorption isotherm surfaces. In order to describe the isotherm surfaces mathematically, three Langmuir-type models were evaluated. The isotherms indicate a competitive uptake with Cu being preferentially adsorbed. In addition, different tests were carried out to compare the process efficiency working continuously in small columns.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Blázquez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hammaini
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D003300:Copper / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008954:Models, Biological; D000459:Phaeophyceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors; D015032:Zinc / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc