Removal of radioactive cesium from an aqueous solution via bioaccumulation by microalgae and magnetic separation.
Sci Rep
; 9(1): 10149, 2019 07 12.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31300718
ABSTRACT
We evaluated the potential sequestration of cesium (Cs+) by microalgae under heterotrophic growth conditions in an attempt to ultimately develop a system for treatment of radioactive wastewater. Thus, we examined the effects of initial Cs+ concentration (100-500 µM), pH (5-9), K+ and Na+ concentrations (0-20 mg/L), and different organic carbon sources (acetate, glycerol, glucose) on Cs+ removal. Our initial comparison of nine microalgae indicated that Desmodesmus armatus SCK had removed the most Cs+ under various environmental conditions. Addition of organic substrates significantly enhanced Cs+ uptake by D. armatus, even in the presence of a competitive cation (K+). We also applied magnetic nanoparticles coated with a cationic polymer (polyethylenimine) to separate 137Cs-containing microalgal biomass under a magnetic field. Our technique of combining bioaccumulation and magnetic separation successfully removed more than 90% of the radioactive 137Cs from an aqueous medium. These results clearly demonstrate that the method described here is a promising bioremediation technique for treatment of radioactive liquid waste.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Poluentes Radioativos da Água
/
Radioisótopos de Césio
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Microalgas
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article