The concentration of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions by particulate algal matter |
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| Authors: | J Ferguson B Bubela |
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| Institution: | Bureau of Mineral Resources and Baas Becking Geobiological Laboratory, Division of Mineralogy, C.S.I.R.O., Canberra, A.C.T. Australia |
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| Abstract: | Experimental studies of the reactions of Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) in aqueous solutions with organic matter derived from fresh samples of the green filamentous algae Ulothrix spp. and the green unicellular algae Chlamydomonas spp. and Chlorella vulgaris show that, under suitable conditions, a significant proportion of the metals is removed from solution by sorption onto the particulate organic matter of the algal suspension.The metal sorption is strongly suppressed by H+ but is only marginally influenced by the proportion of whole cells in the suspension and by complexing of metals in solution by the soluble organic matter. The presence of relatively small amounts of the cations Na+ and Mg2+ in solution reduces the sorption of Zn(II) to near zero, but Pb(II) and Cu(II) sorption occurs to an appreciable extent even in strong brines. This may be a means for the selective precipitation of Pb(II) from brines rich in Pb(II) and Zn(II).Metal “saturation” values indicate that particulate algal matter of the type used in these experiments could sorb sufficient quantities of metal to form an ore deposit if a weight of organic matter of similar order of magnitude to that of the inorganic sediments in the deposits was available. However, the metal sorption is an equilibrium reaction, and the experimentally determined “enrichment factors” suggest that the “saturation” values could be approached only in solutions whose metal contents were initially at least two orders of magnitude above those of normal seawater. |
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