title: Flocculating activity of cross-linked poly-gamma-glutamic acid against bentonite and Escherichia coli suspension pretreated with FeCl3 and its interaction with Fe3+.
abstract: Cross-linked poly-gamma-glutamic acid (C-L gamma-PGA) at 5 microg/ml flocculated bentonite suspension pretreated with polyaluminum chloride (PAC) at 2 microg/ml Al3+-PAC to a transparency of approximately 30% after 30 min and more than 90% after 4 h, while Al3+ concentration in the upper phase of the suspension decreased with incubation time. When pretreated with FeCl3 at 16 microg/ml Fe3+-FeCl3, similar results were obtained. In the case of Escherichia coli suspension, the combination of C-L gamma-PGA and FeCl3 demonstrated a more marked flocculating activity with a satisfactory transparency occurring after 30 min of treatment, accompanied by a decrease in residual Fe3+ concentration. In the above two suspensions pretreated with FeCl3, small visible floats appeared in the early stage of incubation. These floats were found to be due to the direct interaction between FeCl3 and C-L gamma-PGA, indicating the formation of a water-insoluble complex. After allowing the suspension to stand for a long time, elemental analysis and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy of the precipitates produced suggested that not only the complex was formed due to the interaction between Fe3+ in FeCl3 and COO- in the C-L gamma-PGA molecule, but also Fe2O3 and Fe(OH)3 might be entrapped in this complex. This could be applied to scavenge metal ions including Fe3+ from polluted water.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan. makoto@sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Yoshinosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Usuki
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tarui
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hirasawa
mesh_terms: D001546:Bentonite / Q000737:chemistry*; D002712:Chlorides; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry*; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005427:Flocculation; D011099:Polyglutamic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D001546:Bentonite; D011099:Polyglutamic Acid; C024555:ferric chloride