Nostoc Linckia as Biosorbent of Chromium and Nickel from Electroplating Industry Wastewaters

The present study relates to the use of cyanobacterium Nostoc linkia for removal of chromium and nickel from wastewater of galvanic industry. To determine concentrations of Cr and Ni in wastewater samples atomic absorption spectrometry was used. The samples of dried nostoc biomass after exposure to wastewater were subject to nondestructive instrumental neutron activation analysis. During 30 min of the contact of biomass with wastewater 84% of chromium was removed from the wastewaters. Beside chromium after 30 min nostoc biomass accumulates the amount of iron and zinc that exceeds their concentrations in the control biomass samples by a factor of 6 and 8, respectively. Nickel content in biomass after interaction with Cr-containing wastewater increases sixty fold and copper-sixteen fold. During the same time of biomass-Ni-containing wastewater interaction, 50% of nickel were accumulated. The method of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to identify functional groups responsible for metal binding.