Biosorption of Radioactive Thorium by Sargassum filipendula

• Published in: Applied biochemistry and biotechnology Vol. 134; no. 3; pp. 193 - 206
• Main Authors: Picardo, M.C, Ferreira, A.C. de M, Costa, A.C.A. da
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Nature B.V 01.09.2006
• Subjects: Absorption; Algae; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biomass; Bioreactors - microbiology; bioremediation; Cell Proliferation; Computer Simulation; Experimental data; Filipendula; Industrial Waste - prevention & control; Kinetics; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Models, Biological; Radioactive materials; radionuclides; Sargassum - growth & development; Sargassum - metabolism; Sargassum filipendula; Studies; Thorium; Thorium - isolation & purification; Thorium - pharmacokinetics; Ultrafiltration - methods; wastewater treatment; Water Pollutants - isolation & purification; Water Pollutants - pharmacokinetics; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 0273-2289; 1559-0291; 0273-2289
• DOI: 10.1385/ABAB:134:3:193

In the present work, the biosorption of radioactive thorium was investigated using a dry biomass of Sargassum filipendula as the biosorbent material. Radioactive solutions containing between 2.0 and 500.0 micrograms thorium were tested by biosorption with S. filipendula, yielding uptake capacities from 20 to 100%, depending on the concentration of the solution. Kinetic studies indicated that equilibrium between the thorium solution and the solid fraction was achieved after three hours of contact and that a second-order model could express the equilibrium kinetics. In order to investigate the maximum biosorption capacity of the biomass an isotherm was done, based on the experimental data, which revealed the maximum uptake capacity to be 2.59 micromol thorium/g biomass. The experimental data fitted well to a Langmuir model, which provided a good correlation between the experimental and predicted thorium uptake values.