APPLICATION OF DRIED GREEN ALGAE TO REMOVE HEAVY METAL IONS FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER

Abstract

Biosorption could be an effective process for the removal of toxic heavy metal ions from wastewater. In this study, the powder of three different species of marine green algae namely; Caulerparacemosa, Enteromorpha intestinalis and Ulva lactuca were used to build up three types of fixed-bed columns for removal of heavy metal ions Cd2+, Pb2+, Cu2+, Co 2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Fe2+ and Cr3+ from three chemical industrial effluents. The C.racemosa column was relatively more efficient to remove metal ions from the different effluent samples followed by U. lactuca and E. intestinalis with mean metal ion bioremoval efficiencies of 83%, 80% and 76% respectively. Toxicity assessment test using Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata showed that, the biological treated effluents with algal columns reduced its toxicity as EC50 values were very high significantly increased from 6% to 98%. This study verifies the possibility of using dried marine green algae as valuable material for the removal of toxic heavy metals from industrialwastewater.