Removal of Lead from Aqueous Solution by Fusarium oxysporum: Equilibrium and Phytotoxicity Studies

Abstract

Lead is a toxic metal of public health concern. The applicability of Fusarium oxysporum biomass as a biosorbent for the removal of lead ions from wastewater is assessed in the present investigation. Batch experiments were conducted under different experimental conditions for analysis of the lead biosorption capacity of live and dead biomass of Fusarium oxysporum. Lead ions were significantly absorbed at pH 5 with a 2g adsorbent amount at 300C. Equilibrium results were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and found that Langmuir isotherm is the best fit under this condition. A phytotoxicity study revealed that the growth parameters of wheat seeds were significantly increased in the lead solution treated with dead biomass as compared to the live biomass of F. oxysporum. Further, dead F. oxysporum significantly removed lead within 3 hours whereas live fungal biomass took two days for the complete removal of lead. Therefore, the results of the study suggested that live and dead biomass of F. oxysporum can be used as an effective, safe, and economically feasible sorbent for the removal of lead present in industrial effluent or wastewater systems.