Role In Biosorption Research Articles

Biosorption of Cadmium by Living and Non‐living Cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa DR7

ABSTRACTThe global concern over health issues related to heavy metal pollution has driven the adoption of various treatment technologies. The investigation into optimal conditions for cadmium biosorption and bioaccumulation was conducted using a resilient bacterial strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa DR7, which was isolated from ponds. The equilibrium time of the adsorption process of living cells was much longer than that of non‐living cells, which was about 240 min, which indicates that living cells have intracellular accumulation and delay the adsorption process. Living cells favored a pH of 6.0, while non‐living cells showed higher efficiency at pH 7.0, demonstrating the pH‐dependent nature of metal biosorption. In this context, the maximum biosorption capacities for cadmium using non‐living cells and living cells were 103.8 mg/g and 70.94 mg/g, under cell mass of 1.0 g/L, pH 7.0, initial metal concentration of 200 mg/L, and contact time of 240 min, respectively. Cadmium biosorption by living cells was more accurately described by the Freundlich isothermal model, whereas the Langmuir model was used for non‐living cells. Living cells tend to show pseudo‐second‐order kinetic adsorption behavior, while non‐living cells tend to show pseudo‐first‐order kinetic adsorption behavior. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis suggested that the hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl groups all play a role in biosorption. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)–energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed that the high‐temperature treatment destroys the integrity of the cell wall, which enhances the permeability of the cell wall, thus increasing the biosorption of Cd (II) by the non‐living cells. The study found that P. aeruginosa DR7 with high temperature inactivation has a higher Cd(II) adsorption capacity than living cells, making it a green and environmentally friendly biological adsorbent for wastewater treatment with heavy metals.

Modelling and efficiency assessment of the up flow fixed bed process packed with Moringa oleifera for continuous Cd(II) removal from drinking water

The biosorption ability of ‘Moringa oleifera ‘seed powder for the expulsion of cadmium from wastewater was investigated by performing packed column tests. Column tests were conducted as a function of biosorbent dose, influent flow rate and feed sorbate concentration. The findings from column operations revealed that values of maximum cadmium uptake, exhaustion and breakthrough time enhances with rise in bed depth, reduces with rise in feed volumetric flowrate and initial cadmium concentration. At 6 g of Moringa oleifera dose, 2 mL/min of flow rate and 300 µg/L of influent cadmium, the cadmium uptake capacity was found to be 65.44, µg/g. The continuous packed column data for cadmium were well fitted to the Thomas model with the regression coefficient ranges 0.966–0.993. Moreover, the qth values obtained from Thomas model are similar to the experimental breakthrough capacities qexp. The FTIR results reveals that the Moringa oleifera seed contains various active functional groups which are appears to be played a significant role in biosorption of cadmium ions. From practical view, the Moringa oleifera seed could be utilized as safe, inexpensive, sustainable and eco-friendly biosorbent for the elimination of cadmium from drinking water using continuous column mode and also this technology could be considered as an ideal for household usage in rural communities.

Efficacy of Immobilized Biomass of the Seaweeds Ulva lactuca and Ulva fasciata for Cadmium Biosorption

The removal efficiency for Cd (II) by the marine algae Ulva fasciata and Ulva lactuca was studied at different culture conditions. The maximum biosorption capacities were 8.353 and 8.804 mg g−1 dwt for U. fasciata and U. lactuca, respectively, at optimum conditions for each alga. Ten milliliters of 4% calcium alginate immobilized different algal weights. Effect of different factors such as pH, temperature, contact time, biosorbent dose, and agitation speed on Cd (II) biosorption was examined. The results demonstrated the highest absorption efficiency obtained by using 0.05 and 0.15 g for U. fasciata and U. lactuca, respectively, as compared with the control. The results of Fourier transform infrared analysis for the fresh algae and pretreated algal biomasses demonstrated that hydroxyl, amide with hydrogen bond, and carbonyl extension in carboxyl groups played a significant role in biosorption. The biosorption mechanism was also investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis; the results showed the presence of cadmium ion signal at 3.1 keV after the biosorption process. Immobilization of different weights of algae by using calcium alginate enhanced the biosorption capacity in case of low weight. Comparison of immobilized algal beads before and after Cd (II) biosorption showed morphological changed as shown by SEM. Ion exchange was the mechanism involved in Cd (II) biosorption by algae as elucidated by EDX analysis.

Biosorption of Cadmium from Aqueous Solution by Free and Immobilized Dry Biomass of Chlorella vulgaris

Biosorption by algae is an effective process for the removal of heavy metals from the aqueous solutions. The present work deals with the biosorption of Cd(II) by Chlorella vulgaris in a batch system. The biosorption efficiency of Cd(II) removal was studied at different pH (3–8), initial metal concentrations (20–100 ppm), agitation time (5–120 min.), agitation speed (50–250 rpm), and biomass dosage (0.01–0.1 g/50 ml of metal solution). The optimum conditions for maximum biosorption capacity for C. vulgaris were at pH 6, initial Cd(II) concentration 75 mg/l, biomass dosage 0.08 g/50 ml metal solution, temperature 25 °C, agitation speed 250 rpm, and agitation time 30 min. The cadmium removal efficiency of the raw and pretreated algal biomass was studied under the optimum conditions. The results showed that pretreatment with acetic acid gave 99.346% as compared with raw biomass. Different algal weights (0.2, 0.15, 0.1, 0.05, and 0.025 g) were immobilized with 10 ml of 4% calcium alginate. The results showed that the highest cadmium biosorption efficiency was 76.448% for 0.025 g as compared with the control. The biosorption mechanisms were examined by Fourier-transform infrared analysis and scanning electron microscopy for raw and pretreated algal biomasses before and after cadmium biosorption. It was found that hydroxyl, amide with hydrogen bond, and carbonyl stretching in carboxyl groups played an important role in biosorption.

Isotherm and Kinetic Models for Bio-sorption of Cadmium Ions from Aqueous Solutions using Dry Peanut Shells and Hazelnut Shells

This work is aiming to investigate the removal Cd(II) ions from the aqueous solution using two types of biosorbent materials: peanut shells (PS) and hazelnut shells (HS). The effect of several variables on the batch bio-sorption was studied. The process was carried out at room temperature, shacking speed 200 rpm and using fixed adsorbent diameters of 0.75 mm. The highest removal efficiency of Cd(II) ions onto PS was 91.45% in the best conditions (pH=3, initial concentration of Cd(II) ions 50 mg/ L, amount adsorbent was 0.75 g, contact time was 120 min), while the highest removal efficiency when using HS was 85.62% at pH= 4, and contact time of 160 minutes using the same initial concentration of Cd(II) ions as well as the same amount of absorbent material. Isotherm was studied for bio-sorption of Cd(II) ions using these two adsorbents, and the pseudo- first and second order models were used to study bio-sorption kinetics. The results of the infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of (PS) and (HS) samples before and after loading for Cd(II) ions showed that hydroxyl and carboxyl groups play a major role in bio-sorption of these ions.

Mechanisms of strontium's adsorption by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Contribution of surface and intracellular uptakes

The objective of this work was to explore the mechanisms participating in strontium sorption by living Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae). The location of strontium adsorbed by S. cerevisiae was studied by our plasmolysis treatment. The contribution of physical and chemical mechanisms was determined quantitatively by desorption and blockage of functional groups. Moreover, our results indicated that bioaccumulation also played a major role in biosorption by living cells. Thus, supplementary methods including 2-DE (two-dimensional electrophoresis) and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Tandem Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF) were employed to analyze the different proteins.The subsequent desorption % of Sr2+ by Distilled Water (DW), NH4NO3 and EDTA-Na2 from Sr2+ loaded sorbents indicated a minor role for physical adsorption, while ion exchange and complexation were responsible for approximately 20% and 40%. Specific blockage of functional groups revealed that carboxyl and amine groups played an important role in Sr2+ binding to the living S. cerevisiae. From our MALDI-TOF-TOF results, we concluded that 38 proteins showed up-regulated expression profiles and 11 proteins showed down-regulated after biosorption. Moreover, proteins belong to: phagocytic function (Act1p); ion channel (S-adenosylmethionine synthase); glycolysis (Tubulin) may directly involve in strontium bioaccumulation.In conclusion, the present work indicates that the strontium sorption mechanism by living S. cerevisiae is complicated including ion-exchange along with complexation as the main mechanism, whereas the other mechanisms such as physical adsorption play a minor contribution. Metabolically-dependent proteins may play an important role in bioaccumulation.

Utilization of banana peels for removal of strontium (II) from water

Abstract Biosorbents have recently attracted significant attention for wastewater treatment. In the present work removal of Sr (II) from aqueous solution was investigated by using waste banana peels. Maximum biosorption capacity of Banana Peels Powder (BPP) was found as 41.5 mg/g at 120 rpm, pH 7, 323 K temperature, 439 μ m sized biosorbent and contact time of 10 min. Biosorption data followed the pseudo second order kinetics among other models. Studies of biosorption isotherms indicate that the Freundlich model was appropriate to describe the biosorption process compared to Langmuir model. Thermodynamic studies expressed the feasible, favourable, spontaneous and endothermic nature of the process. Desorption of strontium ions from BPP was 66.7% by using 0.1 N HNO3 at 303 K. BPP was successfully recycled for five cycles of biosorption and desorption. SEM images were confirmed the morphological changes in BPP after biosorption and desorption. BPP characterization by FTIR explores that amino, hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl groups play a major role in biosorption. This data emphasized that BPP exhibited a good efficiency for the removal of strontium from aqueous solution.

Biosorption: An Interplay between Marine Algae and Potentially Toxic Elements-A Review.

In recent decades, environmental pollution has emerged as a core issue, around the globe, rendering it of fundamental concern to eco-toxicologists, environmental biologists, eco-chemists, pathologists, and researchers from other fields. The dissolution of polluting agents is a leading cause of environmental pollution of all key spheres including the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, among others. The widespread occurrence of various pollutants including toxic heavy metals and other emerging hazardous contaminants is a serious concern. With increasing scientific knowledge, socioeconomic awareness, human health problems, and ecological apprehensions, people are more concerned about adverse health outcomes. Against this background, several removal methods have been proposed and implemented with the aim of addressing environmental pollution and sustainable and eco-friendly development. Among them, the biosorption of pollutants using naturally inspired sources, e.g., marine algae, has considerable advantages. In the past few years, marine algae have been extensively studied due to their natural origin, overall cost-effective ratio, and effectiveness against a broader pollutant range; thus, they are considered a potential alternative to the conventional methods used for environmental decontamination. Herein, an effort has been made to highlight the importance of marine algae as naturally inspired biosorbents and their role in biosorption. Biosorption mechanisms and factors affecting biosorption activities are also discussed in this review. The utilization of marine algae as a biosorbent for the removal of numerous potentially toxic elements has also been reviewed.

Extracellular polymeric substances affect the responses of multi-species biofilms in the presence of sulfamethizole.

The occurrence and transportation of antibiotics in biofilms from natural and engineered sources have attracted increasing interests. Nevertheless, the effects of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on the responses of biofilms to the exposure to antibiotics are not clear. In this study, the effects of EPS on the sorption and biological responses to one representative antibiotic, sulfamethizole (STZ), in model biofilms were investigated. Proteins dominated the interactions between the EPS and the STZ and the EPS from a moving bed biofilm reactor exhibited the strongest interaction with the STZ. The EPS served as important reservoirs for the STZ and the tested biofilms all showed reduced sorption capacities for the STZ after the EPS were extracted. The respiratory rates and typical enzymatic activities were reduced after the EPS were extracted. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing results confirmed that the bacterial community in the biofilm without the EPS was more vulnerable to antibiotic shock as indicated by the community diversity and richness indices. A greater increase in the abundance of susceptible species was observed in the natural biofilm. The results comprehensively suggested that the EPS played important role in biosorption of STZ and alleviated the direct damage of the antibiotic to the cells; in addition the extent of the bacterial community response was associated with the origins of the biofilms. Our study provided details on the responses of multi-species biofilms to the exposure to an antibiotic and highlighted the role of the EPS in interacting with the antibiotic, thereby providing a deeper understanding of the bioremediation of antibiotics in real-life natural and engineered biofilm systems.

Biosorption of heavy metals onto different eco-friendly substrates

Fungi play an important role in biosorption of heavy metals in heavily contaminated soil. Five metals-tolerant fungal species were isolated from two different contaminated soil (soils 1 and 2). The number of fungal colonies isolated from the contaminated soil 2 was higher than that of soil 1. The most resistant fungal species for the toxic studied metals (Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn) was Rhizopus stolonifier followed by Macrophomina phaseolina. It was established that the metal toxicity was related to the contamination levels, the physicochemical properties including pH, conductivity, organic matter and carbonate contents of the soils. This study confirmed the good ability of different chemicals (CaCO3, MO, Zeolite and phosphate) and biological fungal substrates (M. phaseolina and R. stolonifier) in bioremediation of polluted soils and reducing different heavy metals levels as compared to the control, especially for fungi. M. phaseolina amendment was superior in reducing the chemically available heavy metals in the studied soils. Key words: Heavy metals, fungal adsorption, soil remediation, amendments, sequential extraction technique.

Biosorption of Heavy Metals onto Different Eco-Friendly Substrates

Fungi play an important role in biosorption of heavy metals in heavily contaminated soils. Five metals-tolerant fungal species were isolated from two different contaminated soils (soil 1 and soil 2). The number of fungal colonies isolated from the contaminated soil 2 was higher than that of soil 1. The most resistant fungal species for the toxic studied metals (Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn) was Rhizopus stolonifier followed by Macrophomina phaseolina. It was established that the metal toxicity was related to the contamination levels, the physico-chemical properties including pH, conductivity, organic matter, and carbonate contents of the soils. This study confirmed the good ability of different chemicals (CaCO3, MO, Zeolite and phosphate) and biological fungal substrates (M. phaseolina and R. stolonifier) in bioremediation of polluted soils and reducing different heavy metals levels compared to the control, especially for fungi. M. phaseolina amendment was superior in reducing the chemically available heavy metals in the studied soils.

Decolorization of Congo Red by Phanerochaete chrysosporium: the role of biosorption and biodegradation

ABSTRACTThe degradation of Congo Red by means of Phanerochaete chrysosporium BKM-F-1767 is reported in this work. Solid and liquid cultures have been prepared to evaluate in vivo biodegradation as well as the role of biosorption phenomena on mycelium. Moreover, in vitro tests have been performed to define the influence of MnP on dye decolorization. P. chrysosporium, cultivated on Malt Extract Agar in the presence of Congo Red 0.005% (w/v), has shown good growth and the ability to decolorize the dye in the 25–39°C temperature range. It has also been cultivated in a low NMM liquid medium with the aforementioned dye concentration in immobilized stationary cultures inducted for Lignin Peroxidase (LiP) and Manganese Peroxidase (MnP) production. Congo Red was absorbed on the biomass and then decolorized (93% and 85% for the LiP and MnP cultures, respectively). The cultures with added Congo Red have shown a higher MnP synthesis rate than a control without the dye. The enzymatic degradation of Congo Red has also been investigated by means of the extracellular fluid for different MnP activities (0–300 IU/l); the decolorization percentage has been found to be clearly related to the enzyme concentration up to a value of about 200 IU/l.

Biosorption mechanism of Zn2+ from aqueous solution by spent substrates of pleurotus ostreatus

To solve the problem of heavy metal pollution and agricultural wastes reclamation, spent substrate of pleurotus ostreatus (SSPO) was used as adsorbent to remove Zn2+ from aqueous solution. The biosorption of zinc ions on SSPO was studied as a function of the solution pH, temperature and initial Zn2+ concentration. The equilibrium sorption data were well represented by linear Langmuir isotherm models with R2 value of 0.9955 and non-linear Freundlich with R2 value of 0.9973. The BET surface area of SSPO can reach 51.16m2g−1. SEM-EDX and XRD revealed that (NH4)2Zn·H2O and Zn2PO4(OH) were the main compounds in metal-loaded SSPO. FTIR analysis indicated the governing functional groups such as O-H, N-H and P=O played an important role in biosorption. The desorption studies showed the reversibility of SSPO. The results indicate that SSPO is a potential adsorbent in wastewater treatment due to its great sorption capacity and low cost.

Biosorption mechanism of Cu2+ by innovative immobilized spent substrate of fragrant mushroom biomass

To solve the problem of heavy metal pollution and agricultural wastes reclamation, immobilized spent substrate of fragrant mushroom (ISSFM) by sodium alginate-polyvinyl alcohol (SA-PVA) was used as potential adsorbents to remove Cu2+ from aqueous solution. The biosorption of Cu2+ on ISSFM was studied as a function of the solution pH, adsorption temperature and initial Cu2+ concentration. SEM–EDX and XRD were used to explore the surface morphology and elemental composition in addition to reveal Cu(NH3)3(NO3)2 and Cu(NH4)2H2(PO4)2·4H2O etc. are the main compounds existing in metal-loaded SSFM. FTIR analysis pointed out the governing functional groups such as OH, NH, CO and PO played an important role in biosorption. The results indicated that ISSFM showed great potential in wastewater treatment due to its great sorption capacity and low cost.

Removal of pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, phytoestrogens, UV-filters, industrial chemicals and pesticides by Trametes versicolor: Role of biosorption and biodegradation

This study reports the removal of 30 diverse trace organic contaminants (TrOC) by live (biosorption + biodegradation), intracellular enzyme-inhibited and chemically inactivated (biosorption only) whole-cell preparations and the fungal extracellular enzyme extract (predominantly laccase) from Trametes versicolor (ATCC 7731). Because phenolic substrates are amenable to degradation by laccase, all 14 phenolic TrOC were readily biodegraded. On the other hand, only eight of the 16 non-phenolic TrOC were readily biodegraded while the removal of hydrophilic TrOC (log D < 3) was negligible. With the exception of diclofenac, no non-phenolic TrOC were degraded by the extracellular enzyme extract. The whole-cell culture showed considerably higher degradation of at least seven compounds, indicating the importance of biosorption and subsequent degradation by intracellular and/or mycelium associated enzymes. Improvement (20–90%) of enzymatic degradation of four phenolic and seven non-phenolic TrOC was achieved in the presence of a redox mediator. Compared with the whole-cell culture, mediator-amended extracellular extract achieved better removal of six TrOC, but lower removal of six others. A particular concern was the increased toxicity of the treated media when the redox-mediator was used. In addition to reporting the white-rot fungal removal of two UV filters, three phytoestrogens and a few other pharmaceutically active TrOC for the first time, this study provides unique insights into their removal mechanisms.

Biosorption and toxicity responses to arsenite (As[III]) in Scenedesmus quadricauda

Toxicity and biosorption responses to arsenite (As[III]) were examined in a 96-h exposure study using Scenedesmus quadricauda, one of the most popular green algae distributed in freshwaters in China. Results indicated that the pH-dependent distribution of two arsenite species (H2AsO3- and H3AsO3) played an important role in biosorption and toxicity. The undissociated H3AsO3 was more toxic than its monoanionic H2AsO3- through comparison of algal cell numbers, chlorophyll-a contents, and algal ultrastructural changes observed with transmission electron microscopy. An effective biosorption of 89.0mgg−1 at 100mgL−1 As[III] was found in the treatments with an initial pH of 9.3 and 25.2μgg−1 at 0.03mgL−1 As[III] at an initial pH of 8.2 as a result of the predominant species of H2AsO3- under the ambient pH and Eh conditions. Our results imply that S. quadricauda may provide a new means for the removal of toxic arsenite species present in contaminated surface water.

Biosorption of the metal-complex dye Acid Black 172 by live and heat-treated biomass of Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1: Kinetics and sorption mechanisms

The ability of Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1 to adsorb Acid Black 172 was studied to determine the kinetics and mechanisms involved in biosorption of the dye. Kinetic data for adsorption fit a pseudo-second-order model. Increased initial dye concentration could significantly enhance the amount of dye adsorbed by heat-treated biomass in which the maximum amount of dye adsorbed was as high as 2.98mmol/g biomass, whereas it had no significant influence on dye sorption by live biomass. As treated temperature increased, the biomass showed gradual increase of dye sorption ability. Experiments using potentiometric titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that amine groups (NH2) played a prominent role in biosorption of Acid Black 172. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicated that heat treatment of the biomass increased the permeability of the cell walls and denatured the intracellular proteins. The results of biosorption experiments by different cell components confirmed that intracellular proteins contributed to the increased biosorption of Acid Black 172 by heat-treated biomass. The data suggest that biomass produced by this strain may have application for removal of metal-complex dyes from wastewater streams generated from the dye products industry.

Effect of pre‐treatments on the biosorption of Chromium (VI) ions by the dead biomass of Rhizopus arrhizus

AbstractBACKGROUND: This work fulfils the need to develop an eco‐friendly biosorbent, elucidating the mechanism of biosorption. Removal of Cr(VI) by Rhizopus arrhizus was investigated in batch mode. Enhancement in the performance of the biosorbent was attempted by pre‐treating the biomass with inorganic and organic acids, chelating agent, cross‐linker and an organic solvent followed by autoclaving. The surface characterization of the biomass was carried out by potentiometric titration, surface area analysis, infrared spectroscopy, chemical modification of the biomass and scanning electron microscopy.RESULTS: All the physico‐chemical treatments of the biosorbent improved Cr(VI) uptake compared with the native biomass (21.72 mg g−1). The highest biosorption capacity (31.52 mg g−1) was achieved after pre‐treating the biomass with 0.5 mol L−1 HNO3 followed by autoclaving. Surface characterization of the biomass using pHzpc, potentiometry and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed the role of amino and carboxyl groups in Cr(VI) removal by electrostatic attraction. Chemical modification of amino and carboxyl groups significantly decreased Cr(VI) uptake capacity confirming their role in biosorption. SEM analysis showed adsorption of Cr(VI) on the biosorbent surface.CONCLUSION: Rhizopus arrhizus biomass proved to be an effective and low cost alternative biosorbent for removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

Effect of pre‐treatments on biosorption of Ni (II) by dead biomass of Mucor hiemalis

AbstractThe removal of Ni (II) from aqueous solutions by the physico‐chemically treated fungal biomass of Mucor hiemalis was investigated in the batch mode. Treatment of the autoclaved biosorbent with alkali chemicals, detergents, salts, cross linker, organic acid, organic solvent and oxidizing agent showed varying effects on the uptake capacity of Ni (II) and loss in biomass. Pre‐treating the autoclaved biomass with 0.5 M Na2CO3 for 24 h yielded biosorption capacity of 13.60 mg/g biomass at pH 8.0. The possible binding sites on the biosorbent involved in Ni (II) complexation were evaluated by chemical and instrumental analysis including potentiometric titration, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The amine, amide and carboxyl groups were recognized as important in the biosorption of Ni (II) by M. hiemalis biomass. Chemical modification of the biomass by methylation of the amine groups and esterification of the carboxyl groups significantly decreased the biosorption of Ni (II) thus confirming their role in biosorption.

Studies on Silver Accumulation and Nanoparticle Synthesis By Cochliobolus lunatus

Development of reliable and eco-friendly processes for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step in the field of application of nanotechnology. Biological systems provide a useful option to achieve this objective. In this study, potent fungal strain was selectively isolated from soil samples on silver supplemented medium, followed by silver tolerance (100-1,000ppm) test. The isolated fungus was subjected to morphological, 18S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenic studies and confirmed as Cochliobolus lunatus. The silver accumulation and nanoparticle formation potential of wet cell mass of C. lunatus was investigated. The accumulation and nanoparticle formation by wet fungal cell mass with respect to pH change was also studied. The desorbing assay was used to recover accumulated silver from cell mass. C. lunatus was found to produce optimum biomass (0.94g%) at 635ppm of silver. Atomic absorption spectroscopy study showed that at optimum pH (6.5 ± 0.2), cell mass accumulates 55.6% of 100ppm silver. SEM and FTIR studies revealed that the cell wall of C. lunatus is the site of silver sorption, and certain organic groups such as carbonyl, carboxyl, and secondary amines in the fungal cell wall have an important role in biosorption of silver in nanoform. XRD determined the FCC crystalline nature of silver nanoparticles. TEM analysis established the shape of the silver nanoparticles to be spherical with the presence of very small-sized nanoparticles. Average size of silver nanoparticles (14nm) was confirmed by particle sizing system. This study reports the synthesis and accumulation of silver nanoparticles through reduction of Ag(+) ions by the wet cell mass of fungus C. lunatus.