A Comparative Study on Biosorption of Cr (VI) by Fusarium solani under Different Growth Conditions

Abstract

Biosorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution was studied in a batch bioreactor using the resting cells of Fusarium solani isolated from soil. The specific Cr(VI) removal decreased with increase in pH from 2.0 to 6.0 and increased with increase in initial Cr(VI) concentration, upto 500 mg?l–1. By increasing biomass concentration from 2.0 - 5.0 g?l–1, the specific metal removal remained almost constant. The maximum specific Cr(VI) removal was 60 mg?g–1 achieved at 500 mg?l–1 initial Cr(VI) concentration and by using resting cells (36 h old). The Langmuir adsorption isotherm constants, Q0 and b were observed to be 57.1 mg?g–1 and 0.06 l?mg–1 respectively. These results were compared with the Cr(VI) removal obtained in earlier studies conducted by the present authors using non living and growing cells of F. solani.