Abstract

Heavy metal resistant fungi were isolated from an electroplating industrial effluent samples that uses copper, cadmium and lead for plating. These isolates were tested to evaluate their applicability for heavy metal removal from industrial wastewaters. Initially the physico-chemical parameters of the samples were analyzed. The optimum conditions of pH, biomass concentration and heavy metal concentration were determined for the microbial growth on biosorbents and correlated with heavy metal removal. The observed conditions were applied for the biosorption process in immobilized and dead fungal cells. The biosorption of immobilized cells of Aspergillussp. was 60.94% of Cu, Penicillium sp. was 97.21% of Cd and Cephalosporium sp. was 73.27% of Pb; whereas the dead cells of Aspergillus sp. was 46.91% of Cu, Penicilliumsp. was 95.27% of Cd and Cephalosporium sp. was 70.67% of Pb. Experimental results reveal that all the immobilized isolates have potential application for the removal of Cu, Cd and Pb from industrial wastewater than the dead fungal cells. 

Key words: Heavy metal, fungal sorption, optimization, dead fungal cells, immobilization