Estudo da cinética de biossorção do íon Cd2+ pela levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract

The increase in the industrial activities has intensified the problems of environmental pollution by heavy metals and mainly due to cadmium. Cadmium metal is the one which is mostly used in various industrial processes and is extremely toxic in low concentrations, besides causing serious health problems. The biosorption process is becoming a potentially attractive alternative for a great variety of industrial effluents. This process is important as it utilizes biosorbents of low operational cost, higher selectivity and high metal removal rates. Amongst the biosorbents used for heavy metal retention from industrial effluents, the fungi are distinguished. For example, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be used for such purpose as it has higher capacity of metal removal from industrial effluents. Another advantage is that, it is a residue which is easily obtained in big amounts as by-product of industrial processes. Brazil is world-wide big producer of ethanol and utilizes this microorganism as fermentation agent. Kinetic experiments for cadmium ion biosorption using Saccharomyces cerevisiae in agitated recipient were carried out. The empirical kinetic models used were the empiric model of two parameters and the pseudo-secondorder. These models presented a good reproduction for the parameter qe (adsorption capacity), as well as showed a good fit for experimental kinetic curves, except when high concentration and temperature were used. To evaluate the effect of initial concentration of the metal ion and temperature variables on the kinetic parameters the experimental design methodology was used. The initial metal ion concentration was the variable that had significant influence when compared with the effect of the temperature, in the conditions studied. The best adsorption capacity results were obtained when the metal ion concentration was increased.