Specialists from the Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNIPU) have developed a method to effectively isolate harmful metal ions from wastewater using a biosorbent, the Scientific Russia portal reported on May 8, citing the university’s press service.
Industrial wastewater containing heavy metals causes great damage to the environment. When these contaminants enter the food chain, they cause diseases in plants and animals, as well as humans.
Prolonged exposure to heavy metals in the human body can lead to the development of cancer and damage various organs and the nervous system. In severe cases, poisoning by them can cause death. However, it is impossible to discern such a hidden danger in the water with the naked eye. At the same time, according to the WHO, in Russia only 12% of wastewater is safely treated to remove contaminants.
Currently, vermiculite, a natural mineral that has the property of absorbing (sorption) hazardous substances, is widely used for wastewater treatment. PNRPU scientists conducted a study of the “absorption” process of metal ions in vermiculite and found a way to make this process more efficient in quality and economical in terms of cleaning costs.
Researchers from Perm Polytechnic University presented their development in the report “Extraction of zinc, copper and nickel ions from wastewater” at the all-Russian scientific and practical conference with international participation “Chemistry. Ecology. Urbanism”, which took place in Perm from April 17 to 19, 2024.
The vermiculite sorbent is a mineral with a layered structure that swells at temperatures of 400 to 1000 °C and increases its volume between 7 and 10 times. It has good thermal and acoustic insulation properties and thermal and biological stability. At the same time, vermiculite is freely available on the market at a low price.
To purify industrial wastewater, vermiculite is loaded into special containers through which water contaminated with heavy metals is pumped.
PNRPU scientists have developed a way to increase the effectiveness of vermiculite’s cleaning effect by creating a biosorbent from it. They attached microorganisms to the surface and inside of the expanded mineral that absorb heavy metal ions during their vital processes and compared the sorption of metal ions by the original vermiculite and mineral with live cultures applied to them.
The experiments were carried out in parallel in two identical sorption columns, in which 5 g portions of vermiculite with and without microorganisms were placed. Subsequently, solutions of zinc, copper and nickel salts, both individually and in a mixture of ions, were passed through columns with sorbent and biosorbent. The concentration of metal ions in solutions after sorption was determined with a spectrophotometer.
Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology and Candidate of Chemical Sciences Olga Bakhireva spoke about the results of the experiments:
“The results of our study show that the application of microorganism cells to the surface of vermiculite increases its absorption capacity towards most metal ions, with the exception of copper, by 20% or more. The combined presence of components in the solution slightly reduces the total sorption capacity of both the original vermiculite and the biosorbent. Zinc ions are better absorbed in both cases.”.
Thus, PNRPU scientists demonstrated the validity of using vermiculite as a sorption material for the treatment of industrial wastewater, and also showed how to increase the efficiency of purification of certain heavy metal ions through the application of live microorganisms.
The results obtained can be used for better treatment of industrial wastewater, which will reduce pollution of Russian rivers.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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