title: Biosorption of heavy metals by red algae (Palmaria palmata).
abstract: The biosorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions was investigated, using a cheap and abundant dry biomass of red algae P. palmata. The Freundlich, Langmuir and Brunauer Emmer and Teller (BET) models were used to describe the uptake of lead (pb2+), copper (Cu2+), nickel (Ni2+), cadmium (Cd 2+) and zinc (Zn2+) on P. palmata. The good fits of the Langmuir and BET models to the experimental data reflected that the sorption on P. palmata was a multi-layer sorption, in which a Langmuir equation could be applied to each layer. The highest maximum sorption capacity q(max), derived from the Langmuir model was 15.17 mg g(-1) for lead and 6.65 mg g(-1) for copper (dry weight metal/dry weight biosorbent) at a pH of 5.5-6. The affinity of metals for P. palmata was found to decrease in the order: Pb2+ > Cd2+ > Cu2+ > Ni2+. The factors influencing copper and lead uptake were found to be contact time, pH, initial concentration and temperature. Biosorption of copper and lead was a rapid process, with 70% and 100% of the respective uptakes occurring within the first 10 minutes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, 21 111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada H9X 3V9.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Prasher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beaugeard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hawari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bera
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D018533:Biomass; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014873:Water Pollutants