Depletion of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by heat dried biomass of a newly isolated fungus Arthrinium malaysianum: A mechanistic approach

• Published in: Scientific reports 2017-09, Vol.7 (1), p.11254-15, Article 11254
• Main Authors: Majumder, Rajib, Sheikh, Lubna, Naskar, Animesh, Vineeta, Mukherjee, Manabendra, Tripathy, Sucheta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 14; 14/3; 140/146; 38/77; 639/301/54; 704/4111; Adsorption; Arsenic; Arthrinium; Atomic force microscopy; Biomass; Biosorption; Carcinogens, Environmental - metabolism; Chelation; Chromium; Chromium - metabolism; Dehydration; Entropy; Fourier analysis; Fungi; Heavy metals; Hot Temperature; Humanities and Social Sciences; Industrial effluents; Infrared spectroscopy; Kinetics; Lead; Microscopy, Atomic Force; multidisciplinary; Mycelia; Oxidation; pH effects; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Solutions - chemistry; Sorption Detoxification - methods; Spectrum Analysis; Water Purification - methods; X-ray diffraction; X-ray spectroscopy; Xylariales - chemistry; Xylariales - radiation effects
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10160-0

For the first time, the heat dried biomass of a newly isolated fungus Arthrinium malaysianum was studied for the toxic Cr(VI) adsorption, involving more than one mechanism like physisorption, chemisorption, oxidation-reduction and chelation. The process was best explained by the pseudo-second order kinetic model and Redlich-Peterson isotherm with maximum predicted biosorption capacity ( Q m ) of 100.69 mg g −1 . Film-diffusion was the rate-controlling step and the adsorption was spontaneous, endothermic and entropy-driven. The mode of interactions between Cr(VI) ions and fungal biomass were investigated by several methods [Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX)]. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) studies confirmed significant reduction of Cr(VI) into non-toxic Cr(III) species. Further, a modified methodology of Atomic Force Microscopy was successfully attempted to visualize the mycelial ultra-structure change after chromium adsorption. The influence of pH, biomass dose and contact time on Cr(VI) depletion were evaluated by Response Surface Model (RSM). FESEM-EDX analysis also exhibited arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) peaks on fungus surface upon treating with synthetic solutions of NaAsO 2 and Pb(NO 3 ) 2 respectively. Additionally, the biomass could also remove chromium from industrial effluents, suggesting the fungal biomass as a promising adsorbent for toxic metals removal.