Preparation of different macrophytes bioadsorbents to use in competitive biosorption of metallic ions

• Grant number: 10/51589-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2010
• End date: October 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Meuris Gurgel Carlos da Silva
• Grantee: Meuris Gurgel Carlos da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Environmental biotechnology researches have been conducted using alternative materials in order to eliminate heavy metal ions. The different capacities of various organisms to accumulate metallic ions are known for several decades. This phenomenon allows various types of biomass such as algae, fungi, bacteria and macrophytes are used in bioadsorbent production. The biosorption of different heavy metal ions in single systems has been investigated. However, in real systems it is more common to observe several ions in solution, which may interfere and compete for adsorption sites. The aim of this work is the development of new biosorbent materials from different macrophytes, efficient in biosorption of metal ions in competitive systems. The macrophytes afinity for different heavy metals will be studied. Next, the involved mechanisms (through the identification of the functional groups) in biosorption process of different metallic ions on different biomasses will be evalueted. With the results of previous stages, bioadsorbent materials will be prepared from different macrophytes (trapped in alginate biopolymer) that have affinity for various heavy metals in solution. Several techniques of physicochemical analysis (pHzpc, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), termogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LV-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray techniques (EDS) and metal speciation) will be used to identify the reactive sites and adsorbed species bioadsorbent. This in order to know the structural differences of the bioadsorbent material before and after the biosorption phenomenon. (AU)