Published 2021-12-21
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Área Ambiental

Use of microalgae as an alternative in heavy metal removal

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22490/21456453.4568
Deimer Vitola Universiadad de Sucre
Alexander Pérez universiadad de sucre
Donicer Montes Universidad de Sucre

Contextualization: the direct contamination of bodies of water, because of dumping of wastewater contaminated with heavy metals, is a major problem that has become more acute in recent decades, because heavy metals can disrupt the proper functioning of ecosystems.

Knowledge gap: it is necessary and urgent to search for alternatives for removal of metallic contaminants, which must be low cost, and harmless for the environment. In that sense, iosorción is an alternative that meets these requirements, and its mode of use is simple.

Purpose: the objective was to determine the biosorption capacity of the heavy metals Hg, Cd and Pb by the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus, immobilized in scourer fiber (Luffa cylindrica), as well as their desorption as a recovery strategy.

Methodology: the determination of heavy metals was performed with an air-acetylene flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer for the analysis of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), and a cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometer for mercury (Hg). The analysis of the removed heavy metals was performed on the supernatant, and the desorption capacity was determined on the supernatant resulting from the microalgal biomass treated with aqueous acid solution and centrifuged. An analysis of variance was performed using a completely random design. The significant statistical differences (p < 0,05) were determined by the Tukey test.

Results and conclusions: the results indicate significant differences in the removal of heavy metals, showing Chlorella vulgaris the highest biosorption of heavy metals with 94,77 ± 1,63 % for Cd; 92,45 ± 3,95 % for Pb and 81,78 ± 1,36% for Hg; while Scenedesmus obliquus removed 90,08 ± 2,69 % of Cd; 86,17 ± 1,78 % Pb and 80,2 ± 5,4 9% Hg. And with respect to desorption, Chlorella vulgaris presented the highest averages with 97,29 ± 1,93 % of Hg, 96,86 ± 2.14 % of Cd and 95.48 ± 1.19 % of Pb, while Scenedesmus obliquus showed a desorption of 96,74 ± 2,14 % of Hg; 95,15 ± 2,90 % of Cd and 93,82 ± 2,68 % of Pb. This results prove that the application of immobilized microalgal biomass for the removal of heavy metals is an excellent bioremediation alternative. 

keywords: contamination, C hlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus, heavy metal, biosorption, desorption
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How to Cite
Vitola, . D. ., Pérez, A. . ., & Montes, D. (2021). Use of microalgae as an alternative in heavy metal removal. Revista De Investigación Agraria Y Ambiental, 13(1), 195-203. https://doi.org/10.22490/21456453.4568
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