Biosorption of heavy metals from aqueous solution by green marine macroalgae from Okha Port, Gulf of Kutch, India.

Abstract

3 Abstract: Recent investigations on the use of biosorbents for heavy metal removal have revealed immense potential of marine algae for biosorption. Five green marine macroalgae namely, Cladophora fasicularis, Ulva lactuca, Chaetomorpha sp, Caulerpa sertularioides and Valoniopsis pachynema were screened for their metal uptake capacities for Cd, Hg and Pb at various initial concentrations, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg L and 1 the highest reduction at 120 minutes for all the studied algae. The values of Freundlich model constants (1/n ranged from 0.112 to 0.773) and Langmuir isotherm indicated good biosorption. The Cd uptake values in the different species were in the order Chaetomorpha sp > C. sertularioides > C. fasicularis > V. pachynema> U. lactuca. Hg uptake values followed the sequence C. sertularioides > U. lactuca > C. fasicularis > V. pachynema > Chaetomorpha sp. The metal uptake values for Pb displayed the order V. pachynema > Chaetomorpha sp > C. fasicularis > U. lactuca > C. sertularioides.