Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering

Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering

Biosorption of Nickel Heavy Metal from Aqueous Solutions Using Microalgae Chaetoceros sp.

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 M.Sc., Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Department Marine Biology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Department Marine Biology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
The aim of the present research was to utilize Chaetoceros sp. for the removal of nickel from water bodies and to analyze the impact of various factors on the biosorption of nickel. The study also examined the adsorption isotherm. In a two-phase experiment, different growth conditions were tested to determine the optimal conditions for Chaetoceros sp. growth, including temperature, light intensity, and light/dark cycle. Once the optimal growth conditions were identified, the algae's ability to absorb nickel was evaluated in the second phase. Factors such as temperature, contact time, and nickel concentration were found to influence the removal of nickel by Chaetoceros sp.  Results indicated that under specific conditions -a temperature of 30 C⁰, light intensity of 600 µmol photon/m2s, and a 12-hour light/12-hour dark cycle- Chaetoceros sp. exhibited the highest growth efficiency, reaching a maximum concentration of 2.06 g/L. The highest absorption efficiency for nickel was 26.21%, achieved at a temperature of 30 C⁰, a contact time of 24 hours, and a nickel concentration of 20 mg/L. Examining the absorption isotherm showed that the maximum nickel absorption capacity by Chaetoceros microalgae was 8.99 mg/g. Overall, the study revealed that increasing the temperature up to 30 C⁰ enhanced the biosorption of nickel, while further temperature increases had a negative impact on the absorption process.
Keywords

 
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Volume 9, Issue 4
Winter 2025
Pages 15-26

  • Receive Date 26 December 2023
  • Revise Date 05 June 2024
  • Accept Date 19 June 2024