Novel Magnetotactic Bacteria Strain for Enhanced Aluminium Ions Biosorption

Abstract

Over the decades, the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution using biosorbents such as algae, fungi, yeast, and bacteria has remained a challenging task. This paper explores the Al(III) biosorption efficiency of magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) via a new strain called SUM 123 of Alcaligenes sp. The influence of temperature, pH, initial Al(III) concentration, and adsorbent dosage on the biosorption efficiency of MTB is examined. The achieved optimum conditions for Al(III) ions biosorption in the aqueous solution is demonstrated to be 80 mg/L, 12 g/L biosorbent at 25 ºC with pH 5. In this situation, the isolated bacteria attained the maximal Al(III) loading capacity as much as 15.74 mg Al(III)/g (biomass) with 99.53% adsorption. Furthermore, better fitness of “the equilibrium data was provided by the Langmuir isotherm model compared to the Freundlich model. Again, the feasibility, spontaneous and endothermic nature of the biosorption process at 10-40ºC were validated by the evaluated thermodynamic parameters (ΔGº, ΔHº and ΔSº). A pseudo second-order kinetic model that fitted the kinetic data was also achieved with a correlation coefficient (R2) value of > 0.993. FTIR spectra manifested the involvement of hydroxyl, amide, and amine groups in Al(III) biosorption process.” TGA displayed the existence of Al(III) adsorption on the cell wall. It is established that the SUM 123 biomass assisted biosorption is a prospective cost-effective method for Al(III) recovery from contaminated waters.