Removal of metal ions from aquatic systems through coconut fibre and rice husk plenty of amino acids derived from chicken feathers keratin

• Grant number: 06/05991-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2006
• End date: November 30, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio Boscolo
• Grantee: Mariana de Oliveira Simões
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research project aims the utilization of derived biomass of the avian frigorific, like keratin of chicken feathers, for the decontamination of the industrial effluents infected by heavy metals. The total hydrolysis of these feathers produces a solution, which has a great amount of amino acids that can be immobilized on coconut or rice fibers. These supports can be easily founded in the countryside, in a very low price, or be discarded as a residue. There aren't any studies in Brazil that focus on the avian keratin utilization as an absorbent of metallic ions. The scarce literature that is available in the international database reveals the high economic and environmental potential to the utilization of these biomasses. The metallic ions of the components Cu, Zn, Hg, Cd, Cr, Pb, Mn e Ni can be highly absorbed by the feathers with partial hydrolysis or by the immobilized amino acids on natural fibers. However, the different metallic ions are efficiently absorbed in different pHs, and this requires a more detailed study. A study of the economic and technical viability is also going to be performed, so that the implantation of this methodology is going to be possible in tanning in the region of São José do Rio Preto. A tubular system is going to be built for trying the efficiency of the metallic ions removal. These adsorption studies will be performed with solutions containing 10 ppm of the different metallic ions and they are going to be analyzed with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. (AU)