Comparative study of the biosorption of Fe3+ ion by living and dead biomass prepared from the microalga Scenedesmus obliquus

Abstract

: The present work compares the biosorption capacity of Fe 3+ by the living biomass presented in our previous study with dead biomass prepared from the same microalgae after deactivating the cells using temperature (drying). This technique (dry biomass) is the most frequently used in biological processes based on adsorption by microalgae. The influence of different parameters on the biosorption capacity of the two biomasses was studied. The highest efficiency of metal removal was recorded by a live microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus, with a removal value of 100% within 20 minutes versus to 43% for dried microalgae within               60 minutes. This work confirms the potential use of a live microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus as an efficient technique for removing ions from wastewater.