Reclamation of Metals from Water with a Silage-Microbe Ecosystem.
Abstract
Cyanobacteria mats, generated by ensiled grass enrichments, were adapted for high level metal and metalloid tolerance and subsequently evaluated for their potential in metal sequestering and metalloid reduction. Excised mats sections, applied to mixed metal solutions, containing concentrations of Zn: 3250, Cu: 279, Cd: 28 (mg/L), showed the following removals, Zn: 78%; Cu and Cd: 99% in 28 days. Mats immobilized on glass wool and packed in columns showed the following - removals of the mixed solution in a 3 h retention time, Cd: 83%, Cu: 88%, Zn: 92%. Immobilized mats layered in a flow through baffle (flow rate of 2-2.5 ml/min), removed an average of 96.7% Cd in four 500-ml flows of 20 mg/L. Mat ecosystems contained simultaneous oxic and anoxic conditions. High reducing potentials within the system rapidly and effectively reduced selenate to elemental selenium. Mixed microbial mats demonstrated good potential for removal and transformation of certain heavy metals and metalloids.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA322500
Entities
People
- Judith Bender
Organizations
- Clark Atlanta University