Abstract
The adsorption of humic acid by Rhizopus arrhizus obeyed the Freundlich equation describing heterogeneous surface energy adsorption, and was shown to be pH and biomass concentration dependent. The fungal cell wall chitin/chitosan component had the highest adsorption capacity, followed by cell wall, whole cell then protoplast. The effects of culture age, growth medium composition and biomass pre-treatment with NaOH were assessed in relation to adsorption efficiency and capacity. The presence of metal ions in solution increased humic acid removal by R.arrhizus, this was explained by the role of ions in bridging cell wall surface charge to humic acid surface charge.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 727-737 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Environmental Technology (United Kingdom) |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 1992 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Adsorption
- Biosorption
- Chitin/chitosan
- Fungal biomass
- Humic acid
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- Water Science and Technology
- Waste Management and Disposal