Biosorption Of Uranium from Trachytic Rocks

Algae are efficient and cheap bio-sorbents as the requirement of nutrient by algae is little. Based on statistical analysis on algae potentiality in biosorption, it has been reported that algae absorb about 15.3% -84.6%, which is higher as compared to other microbial bio- sorbents. Biosorption of metal ions occurs on the cell surface by means of ion exchange method. Marine algae has the capacity to absorbed metals like Cd, Ni, Pb through chemical groups on their surface.

Biosorption by algae requires high metal uptake and selectivity by substrate and suitable mechanical properties. Of all the algae, brown algae have been proven the most effective and promising. Their basic biochemical constitution is responsible for this enhanced performance. More specifically, it is the properties of their cell wall constituents which are chiefly responsible for metal uptake. Biosorption of the metallic cations to the algal cell wall component is essentially a surface process.

The field and radiometric survey indicate that the trachytic rocks are the main rock type in the investigated area, which contains secondary uranium minerals. Ulva lactuca are used to capture the uranium elements from the trachytic rocks where the analysis indicate that it leaching the uranium content by 91% to 98% as well as, it change in the chemical composition of the mineral content, as some elements disappear or decreased while other elements are increased, such as columbite (Fe,Mn)Nb2O6.The columbite contains Nb more than Ta because it carry Uranium, the treatment of samples with Ulva luctuca led to decreasing of Nb and U from 7.24% to 0.23% because Nb and U adsorbed on the Ulva luctuca.

                   The above Article originally got published at SciFedJournal of Fermentation & Microbial Technology in 2017, To have a glance please visit: Click Here