Abstract

ABSTRACT Lead contamination in soil due to anthropogenic activities has amplified and therefore, remediation is of prime significance due to its nonbiodegradability and toxicity effects. This study focuses on lead removal from the soil collected from a rifle range using biosurfactants produced from native microorganisms and edible oils. Native microorganisms in contaminated soil served as a source for biosurfactant production aided by edible vegetable oils such as palm oil and gingelly oil. Preliminary isolation and characterization studies indicated the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that produced biosurfactant and removed lead simultaneously. Batch adsorption experiments showed 96%–99.6% of lead adsorption following Langmuir isotherm model. Lead desorption of 23.6% occurred without biosurfactant. Whereas in the presence of biosurfactants, enhanced desorption of 62.3% was observed. Of both palm oil and gingelly oil derived biosurfactants, the former reached a lead removal efficiency of 93.6% indicating the feasibility and effectiveness of the biosurfactants for contaminated site remediation.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.