Biosurfactant of marine origin exhibiting heavy metal remediation properties

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2009-10, Vol.100 (20), p.4887-4890
• Main Authors: Das, Palashpriya, Mukherjee, Soumen, Sen, Ramkrishna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AAS; Adsorption; aquatic organisms; aqueous solutions; Bacillus circulans; Bacteria - cytology; Bacteria - metabolism; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; bioremediation; biosurfactants; Biotechnology; FTIR; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heavy metals; Marine biosurfactant; Metals, Heavy - isolation & purification; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Seawater - microbiology; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Spectrum Analysis; Surface-Active Agents - chemistry; surfactants; TEM–EDS; Toxic metal removal; water pollution
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.05.028

The present study was aimed at elucidating the role of biosurfactant product isolated from a marine bacterium in removing heavy metals from heavy metal containing solutions. In this study, metal removal was biosurfactant-mediated. Efficiency of metal removal depended on the concentration of the metal as well as that of the biosurfactant. At a concentration 5×, the critical micelle concentration (CMC), almost complete removal of 100 ppm of lead and cadmium occurred. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) studies also showed metal removal at a concentration less than the CMC in contrast to earlier findings that only micelles are involved in metal removal. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) further substantiated these findings.