SIMULTANEOUS MULTIELEMENT STUDY OF THE BINDING OF METALS IN SOLUTION BY AN ALGAL BIOMASS, CHLORELLA-VULGARIS

The adsorption process of four metals in solution (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd) to Chlorella Vulgaris will be described and compared to a previous study using three metals (Pb,Cu,Zn) in solution . The binding capacity of Chlorella Vulgaris to four elements simultaneously increases with time, mass of algae, and up to a temperature of about 20.0-degrees-C. The equilibrium points for binding three metals simultaneously are at pH=4.55, with 7 mg of algae, and after 2.0 hrs. in a 5 ml aliquot or the solution. In the four metal system, the optimum values are significantly higher while the binding capacity is reduced. The competition between metals for binding sites in the algal cells is governed by kinetic properties as related to the pH, mass of algae, time, and concentration of solution. The binding process is also dependent upon thermodynamics with respect to the temperature of the solution.