Application of Immobilized Fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium in Removal of Heavy-Metals from Wastewater

Immobilized microbe technologies are expected to be effectively used in wastewater treatment. Removal of heavy-metals from wastewater by immobilized Phanerochaete chrysosporium (Pc) with Ca-alginate and iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was studied. The results showed that a biosorbent as Pc immobilized by Ca-alginate and iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles was successfully developed. And the iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles played an important role in the increase of biosorption capacity of Pc. Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analysis confirmed that metal ions adsorbed to the surface of the biosorbents were partly transmitted to the interior of biosorbents, mainly embedded with iron oxide nanoparticles and Ca-alginate. Moreover, it was found that MNPs-Ca-alginate immobilized Pc showed a good affinity to various heavy metals, such as Pb(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) or Mg(II) and so on. The results proved the high efficiency of the biosorbents for heavy-metal removal and its potential application in the treatment of metal-containing wastewater.