Effective and selective recovery of gold and palladium ions from metal wastewater using a sulfothermophilic red alga, Galdieria sulphuraria.
The demand for precious metals has increased in recent years. However, low concentrations of precious metals dissolved in wastewater are yet to be recovered because of high operation costs and technical problems. The unicellular red alga, Galdieria sulphuraria, efficiently absorbs precious metals through biosorption. In this study, over 90% of gold and palladium could be selectively recovered from aqua regia-based metal wastewater by using G. sulphuraria. These metals were eluted from the cells into ammonium solutions containing 0.2M ammonium salts without other contaminating metals. The use of G. sulphuraria is an eco-friendly and cost-effective way of recovering low concentrations of gold and palladium discarded in metal wastewater.
Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
Xiaohui
X
Ju
Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
Kensuke
K
Igarashi
National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8563, Japan.
Shin-Ichi
S
Miyashita
National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8563, Japan.
Hiroaki
H
Mitsuhashi
National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8563, Japan.
Kazumi
K
Inagaki
National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8563, Japan.
Shin-Ichiro
S
Fujii
Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
Hitomi
H
Sawada
Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
Tomohiko
T
Kuwabara
Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan. Electronic address: minoda.ayumi.gb@u.tsukuba.ac.jp.
Ayumi
A
Minoda
D006046:Gold / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007477:Ions; D010165:Palladium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000461:Rhodophyta; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D006046:Gold; D007477:Ions; D010165:Palladium; D062065:Wastewater
Biosorption; Gold; Metal recovery; Palladium; Red algae