Abstract
Green algae (microspora) in the acidic mine drainage and blue-green algae (phormidium) in the alkaline hot spring stream were collected and used as biosorbents of metal ions. The results were as follows, 1. Algae which were washed by an aqueous hydrochloric acid and then dried, adsorbed the precious metals in aqueous solutions of tetrachloroaurate, silver nitrate and palladium chloride better than the living state of algae. For example, 1kg of washed phormidium adsorbed approximately 0.3kg of gold and the adsorbed gold on algae changed to metallic state. However, as for the adsorption of gold complex in thiourea solution by those algae, the adsorption was observed only in its dilute solution.2. Washed algae could not adsorb base metal ions, such as Fe2+, Cu2+ or Co2+, however, unwashed dried phormidium adsorbed them fairly well. The adsorption of base metal ions on the phormidium was proved to be related to the cation exchange of Ca2+ in algae with chemical and EDS analyses.3. As living algae could adsorb both precious metal and base metal ions, they could be used to recover or remove heavy metal ions from the waste water and so on by growing them in those water.
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