The Biosorption Features of Cr (VI) Ions by Dried Biomass of a Facultative Anaerobic Bacillus cereus Strain Pf-1

Paul Fabrice Nguema; Zejiao Luo; Zachari Mohamadou Mounir; Lian Jing Jing

Paul Fabrice Nguema Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Science, School of Wood, Water and Natural Resources, University of Dschang, P.O.Box 786, Ebolowa, Cameroon.
Zejiao Luo State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo lu, Wuhan 430074, China.
Zachari Mohamadou Mounir Departement Hygiene Securite Environnement, Institut Universitaire de Technologie, Universite de Zinder, Bp 656, Zinder, Niger.
Lian Jing Jing State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo lu, Wuhan 430074, China.

Keywords: Pf-1 strain, biosorption, langmuir, Cr (VI), biomass

Abstract

Many studies were undertaken on the biosorption potential of different kinds of biomaterials. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the biosorption mechanism of Cr (VI) using dried cells. In our study, the removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution was investigated in a batch system by the dried biomass of Bacillus cereus Pf-1 isolated from activated sludge samples. Equilibrium and kinetic experiments were undertaken at various initial metal concentration, pH, and biosorbent dosage. Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the biomass. Biosorption process was found to be pH dependent. The optimum pH was found to be 2.0. The Langmuir and Freundlich were considered to identify the isotherm that could better describe the equilibrium adsorption of Cr (VI) onto the biomass. Langmuir and Freundlich models fitted our experimental data. The suitability of the pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic models for the biosorption of Cr (VI) onto Bacillus cereus was also performed. The mechanism for the adsorption was studied by fitting the kinetic data with the Boyd plot and intra-particle diffusion model. External mass transfer was found to be the rate-determining step. Based on the ionic nature of the metal, the intra-particle diffusion and extent of film diffusion varied.