Biosorbents for Metal Ions

This text focuses on the 'green' techniques for removing metal pollutants from soil, air and water. Biological techniques are seen as more environmentally friendly than chemical treatments and can also be cheaper.

Metals can be dispersed, both naturally and by man's activities, into any of the Earth's elements - soil, water or air. Biological techniques for removing metal pollutants from soil, air or water are now attracting great interest, both because they are seen as more environmentally friendly than chemical treatments, and because, in some cases at least, they can be considerably cheaper.

This text looks chiefly at the ways in which metal ions can be removed from the aquatic environment and looks at the various techniques available, including the use of fungi, algae, peat, compost and bacteria.

Biosorption of heavy metals - an introduction; the use of algae as metal biosorpents; general bacterial sorptive processes; fungi as biosorpents; biosorbents of lanthanides, actinides and related materials; scavenging trace concentrations of metals; low-cost biosorpents - batch processes; biosorption using unusual biomasses; low cost adsorbents in continuing processes; biosorption - the future.