Biological Removal and Recovery of Toxic Heavy Metals in Water Environment

Abstract

The authors review presently available or potential biological methods to remove and detoxify toxic heavy metals and metalloids from polluted water and sediments (i.e., biosorption, bioaccumulation, oxidation/reduction, leaching, precipitation, volatilization, degradation, and phytoremediation). In addition, they describe the options for the recovery of metals sequestered by biosorbents (use of appropriate desorbing agents) and microbial and plant biomass (leaching by means of chemical reagents or biological processes, and thermal treatment in controlled systems).