Adsorption of Pseudomonas putida on clay minerals and iron oxide

Adsorption of Pseudomonas putida on minerals including montmorillonite, kaolinite and goethite was studied. The adsorption isotherms of P. putida on the examined minerals conformed to the Langmuir equation. The amount of P. putida adsorbed followed the order: goethite > kaolinite > montmorillonite. A greater extent of P. putida adsorption on minerals was observed in the range of temperature from 15 to 35 °C. The adsorption of P. putida on minerals decreased with the increase of pH from 3.0 to 10.0. Magnesium ion was more efficient than sodium ion in promoting P. putida adsorption on minerals. The results suggest that electrostatic interactions play a vital role in P. putida adsorption by soil colloidal factions. The information obtained in this study is of fundamental significance for the understanding of the survival and transport of bacteria in soil systems.     

Interaction of Pseudomonas putida with kaolinite and montmorillonite: a combination study by equilibrium adsorption, ITC, SEM and FTIR

Equilibrium adsorption along with isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were employed to investigate the adsorption of Pseudomonas putida on kaolinite and montmorillonite. A higher affinity as well as larger amounts of adsorption of P. putida was found on kaolinite. The majority of sorbed bacterial cells (88.7%) could be released by water from montmorillonite, while only a small proportion (9.3%) of bacteria desorbed from kaolinite surface. More bacterial cells were observed to form aggregates with kaolinite, while fewer cells were within the larger bacteria–montmorillonite particles. The sorption of bacteria on kaolinite was enthalpically more favorable than that on montmorillonite. Based on our findings, it is proposed that the non-electrostatic forces other than electrostatic force play a more important role in bacterial adsorption by kaolinite and montmorillonite. Adsorption of bacteria on clay minerals resulted in obvious shifts of infrared absorption bands of water molecules, showing the importance of hydrogen bonding in bacteria–clay mineral adsorption. The enthalpies of −4.1 ± 2.1 × 10⁻⁸ and −2.5 ± 1.4 × 10⁻⁸ mJ cell⁻¹ for the adsorption of bacteria on kaolinite and montmorillonite, respectively, at 25 °C and pH 7.0 were firstly reported in this paper. The enthalpy of bacteria–mineral adsorption was higher than that reported previously for bacteria–biomolecule interaction but lower than that of bacterial coaggregation. The bacteria–mineral adsorption enthalpies increased at higher temperature, suggesting that the enthalpy–entropy compensation mechanism could be involved in the adsorption of P. putida on clay minerals. Data obtained in this study would provide valuable information for a better understanding of the mechanisms of mineral–microorganism interactions in soil and associated environments.     

Biosorption of copper(II) and zinc(II) from aqueous solution by Pseudomonas putida CZ1

To study Pseudomonas putida CZ1, having high tolerance to copper and zinc on the removal of toxic metals from aqueous solutions, the biosorption of Cu(II) and Zn(II) by living and nonliving P. putida CZ1 were studied as functions of reaction time, initial pH of the solution and metal concentration. It was found that the optimum pH for Zn(II) removal by living and nonliving cells was 5.0, while it was 5.0 and 4.5, respectively, for Cu(II) removal. At the optimal conditions, metal ion biosorption was increased as the initial metal concentration increased. The adsorption data with respect to both metals provide an excellent fit to the Langmuir isotherm. The binding capacity of living cells is significantly higher than that of nonliving cells at tested conditions. It demonstrated that about 40-50% of the metals were actively taken up by P. putida CZ1, with the remainder being passively bound to the bacterium. Moreover, desorption efficiency of Cu(II) and Zn(II) by living cells was 72.5 and 45.6% under 0.1M HCl and it was 95.3 and 83.8% by nonliving cells, respectively. It may be due to Cu(II) and Zn(II) uptake by the living cells enhanced by intracellular accumulation.     

Simultaneous determination of traces of heavy metals by solid-phase spectrophotometry

A coupling sensitive solid phase spectrophotometric (SPS) procedure for determination of traces of heavy metals (Me-SPS) and multicomponent analysis by multiple linear regressions (MA), a simple methodology for simultaneous determination of metals in mixtures was inaugurated. The Me-SPS procedure is based on sorption of heavy metals on PAN-resin and direct absorbance measurements of colour product Me-PAN sorbed on a solid carrier in a 1-mm cell. This methodology (Me-SPS-MA) was checked by simultaneous determination of metals in synthetic mixtures with different compositions and contents of metals important in pharmaceutical practice: Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Co, and Ni. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical amounts of heavy metals is obtained from the recovery test (78.3–110.0%). The proposed method enables determination of particular metal ion at the ng mL⁻¹ level and it was successfully applied to the determination impurities from heavy metal traces in pharmaceutical substances (Cu in ascorbic acid, Pb in glucose, and Zn in insulin). The proposed procedure could be possible contribution to the development of pharmacopoeial methodology for a heavy metals test.     

Surface free energy effect on bacterial retention

Bacterial infection is one of the most frequent and severe complications in the long-term effectiveness of medical implants and devices, greatly increasing treatment cost and inconvenience to the patient. Surface physical and chemical properties are known to influence the extent and form of bacterial infection, although the exact correlation with specific properties is difficult due to the complexity of the system. One approach in the attempt to reduce the bacterial colonisation is to modify the surface energy and chemistry, so as to influence the interactions between the surface and the bacteria that come into contact with it. Five types of coatings were investigated in this study, together with silicone, and polished and non-polished stainless steel 316L. Surfaces were tested for retention of Pseudomonas aeruginosa AK1 after 1 h. A good correlation (>90%) was found between P. aeruginosa AK1 retention and total surface free energy, as well as its polar and dispersive components. The minimum level of P. aeruginosa AK1 retention was found for a range of total surface free energy in the range 20–27 mN/m.     

Competitive sorption and desorption of heavy metals in mine soils: influence of mine soil characteristics

Many mine soils are chemically, physically, and biologically unstable and deficient. They are sometimes amended with sewage sludge and ashes but often contain heavy metals that increase the already high mine soils' heavy metal contents. Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in mutual competition were added to five mine soils (Galicia, Spain). Soil capacities for heavy metal sorption and retention were determined by means of distribution coefficients and selectivity sequences among metals. Influence of soil characteristics on sorption and retention was also examined. Retention selectivity sequences indicate that, in most of the soils, Pb is the preferred retained metal, followed by Cr. The last metals in these sequences are Ni, Cd, and Zn. Soil organic matter content plays a fundamental role in control of Pb sorption. Gibbsite, goethite, and mica influence Cr retention. Soil organic matter, oxides, and chlorite contents are correlated with K(d sigma sp medium). Heavy metals are weakly adsorbed by soils and then desorbed in high amounts. To recover these soils it is necessary to avoid the use of residues or ashes that contain heavy metals due to their low heavy metal retention capacity.     

Cork biomass as biosorbent for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II)

The removal of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) from solutions using biosorption in cork powder is described. The adsorption isotherms were determined, along with the effect of different variables, such as the solid–liquid ratio, temperature and pH on the removal efficiency of the metals. The potentiometric titration curve of the cork biomass was determined and some zeta-potential studies were carried out. The effect of the pre-treatment by Fisher esterification on the biosorption properties of cork is also presented. It was concluded that the adsorption of the heavy metals was favoured by an increase in pH. The degree of heavy metal removal is directly related to the concentration of cork biomass, and the maximum sorption capacity of cork biomass for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) was 0.63, 0.76 and 0.34 meq./g, respectively. It is shown that ion exchange plays a more important role in the sorption of Cu(II) and Ni(II) on cork biomass than in the sorption of Zn(II). The pre-treatment by Fisher esterification confirmed the important role of the carboxylic groups in binding of Cu(II) and Ni(II) and showed that they are the only binding sites for Zn(II).     

Preconcentration of copper on ion-selective imprinted polymer microbeads

Molecular recognition-based separation techniques have received much attention in various fields because of their high selectivity for target molecules. Molecular imprinting has been recognized as a promising technique for the preparation of such systems. In this study, we have prepared a novel molecular imprinted adsorbent to remove heavy metal ions with high selectivity. The Cu(II)-imprinted poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate–methacryloylamidohistidine/Cu(II)) (poly(EGDMA–MAH/Cu(II))) microbeads with an average size of 150–200 μm were prepared by dispersion polymerization. These Cu(II) imprinted microbeads were used in the adsorption–desorption of copper(II) ions from metal solutions. Adsorption equilibria was achieved in about 1 h. The maximum adsorption of Cu(II) ions onto imprinted microbeads was about 48 mg/g. The pH significantly affected the adsorption capacity of imprinted microbeads. The observed adsorption order under competitive conditions was Cu(II) > Zn(II) > Ni(II) > Co(II) in mass basis. The imprinted microbeads can be easily regenerated by 0.1 M EDTA solution with higher effectiveness. The imprinted microbeads showed excellent selectivity for the target molecule (i.e. Cu(II) ions due to molecular geometry). These features make imprinted microbeads very good candidate for selective removal of Cu(II) ions at high adsorption capacity. Detection limit was increased at least 1000-folds with the preconcentration approach using the imprinted microbeads. The method was also applied to certified reference and seawater samples.     

Simultaneous Forecast for Three Speciations of Heavy Metal Elements Using Fuzzy Cluster-Artificial Neural Network

The three speciations(water extract, adsorption and organic speciations) of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn in geo-chemical samples were determined by fuzzy cluster-artificial neural network(FC-ANN) method coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry. A back-propagation artificial neural network with one input node and three export nodes was constructed, which could forecaste three speciations of heavy metals simultaneously. In the learning sample set, the three speciations of each element were allowed to change in a wide concentration range and the accuracy of the analysis was apparently increased via the learning sample set optimized with the help of the fuzzy cluster analysis. The average relative errors of the three speciations of Cu, Zn, Fe or Mn from 100 geo-chemical samples were less than 5%. The relative standard deviations of the three speciations of each of four heavy metals were 0.008%―4.43%.     

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic characterisation of heavy metal-induced metabolic changes in the plant-associated soil bacterium Azospirillum brasilense Sp7

Structural and compositional features of whole cells of the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 under standard and heavy metal-stressed conditions are analysed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and compared with the FT-Raman spectroscopic data obtained previously [J. Mol. Struct. 563–564 (2001) 199]. The structural spectroscopic information is considered together with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) analytical data on the content of the heavy metal cations (Co²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺) in the bacterial cells. As a bacterial response to heavy metal stress, all the three metals, being taken up by bacterial cells from the culture medium (0.2 mM) in significant amounts (ca. 0.12, 0.48 and 4.2 mg per gram of dry biomass for Co, Cu and Zn, respectively), are shown to induce essential metabolic changes in the bacterium revealed in the spectra, including the accumulation of polyester compounds in bacterial cells and their enhanced hydration affecting certain IR vibrational modes of functional groups involved.     

Study of the parameters affecting the binding of metals in solution by Chlorella vulgaris

The ability of Chlorella vulgaris to accumulate heavy metals in solution (Mn, Cr, Ni, Zn and Cu) was investigated. Various parameters (algal biomass, pH and contact time of the algae with the sample) have been studied. Nine mg of algal biomass, pH 8 and 15 min of contact time, with 1 ppm of each metal, were the optimized conditions. At pH 8, the optimum value to rise the maximum binding, a fraction of metals in solution precipitates forming hydroxides. Combining both processes, a chemical–biological system for the removing of metals at ppb levels from the environment is obtained. The simultaneous determination of these five metals was performed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with a UV/Vis detector.     

Methode d'elution selective pour l'extraction des metaux lourds de l'eau de mer sur resine chelatante: A selective method of elution for the extraction of heavy metals from sea waters on a chelating resin

A selective method of elution for the extraction of heavy metals from sea waters on a chelating resin.The extraction of heavy metals in sea water with Chelex 100 prior to their determination by atomic absorption spectrometry (a.a.s.) with electrothermal atomization is discussed. Maximum retention of heavy metals is not obtained with the resin in the H⁺ form, because it is gradually transformed in contact with sea water by the fixation of alkali and alkaline-earth cations which are eluted simultaneously with the heavy metals and interfere during a.a.s. The separation of heavy metals is quantitative on Chelex 100 in the Ca²⁺ form; treatment with dilute acetic acid (1 + 99) eliminates the alkali and alkaline-earth metals fixed on the resin before elution or the heavy metals. Elution with 1 M nitric acid gives simultaneous and quantitative recovery of Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, Cd and Co; intermediate elution with 0.01 M nitric acid isolates Zn, Cd and Co from Cu and Pb, which are subsequently eluted with 1 M nitric acid.     

Formation of colloidal silver nanoparticles stabilized by Na+-poly(gamma-glutamic acid)-silver nitrate complex via chemical reduction process

Macromolecular and polyanionic Na⁺–poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGA) silver nitrate complex acted as both a metal ion provider and a particle protector to fabricate nanosized silver colloids under chemical reduction by dextrose. The formation and size of particles have been characterized from transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering analysis and UV–vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that the average particle size was 17.2 ± 3.4 to 37.3 ± 5.5 nm, apparently depending on the complex concentration. It was found that the rate constant and conversion of silver nanoparticles were proportional to the concentration of PGA. The growth mechanism of nanosized silver colloid was fully discussed. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity evaluated by L929 fibroblasts proliferation and antibacterial activity against Gram-positive strain (methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)) and Gram-negative strain (P. aeruginosa) bacteria have been assessed.     

表层沉积物(生物膜)非残渣态组分的选择性萃取分离及其吸附铜/锌的特性

采用化学萃取技术对表层沉积物(生物膜)的非残渣态组分(铁、锰氧化物及有机质)进行了分离, 并研究了表层沉积物(生物膜)非残渣态和残渣态组分吸附铜、锌的特性. 结果表明, 0.1 mol/L NH2OH·HCl+0.1 mol/L HNO3, (NH4)2C2O4-H2C2O4缓冲溶液和体积分数为30%的H2O2可选择性地萃取分离表层沉积物(生物膜)非残渣态的锰氧化物、铁锰氧化物和有机质, 萃取率为63.15%～97.59%, 同时对非目的组分影响较小; 表层沉积物(生物膜)及其各组分对铜的吸附能力均大于对锌的吸附能力, 且生物膜及其各组分对铜、锌的吸附能力均高于表层沉积物及其相应组分对铜、锌的吸附能力; 表层沉积物(生物膜)非残渣态组分对铜、锌的吸附能力均大于残渣态组分, 且非残渣态组分中锰氧化物的单位吸附能力最强, 其次是铁氧化物, 而有机质的单位吸附能力较弱, 比锰氧化物低2个数量级, 说明生物膜对水体中痕量重金属的迁移转化作用强于表层沉积物, 而表层沉积物(生物膜)中金属(铁、锰)氧化物对水中痕量重金属起主要控制作用.     

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of runoff water and vegetation from abandoned mining of Pb–Zn ores

The present work reports on the heavy metal content: Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in running waters and vegetation around abandoned mining areas. Two species of mosses (Dicranum sp. and Pleurocarpus sp.) and three different species of wild grass (Bromus sp., Rumex sp. and Pseudoavena sp.) growing on the surrounding areas of old lead–zinc mines (Aran Valley, Pyrenees, NE Spain) have been analyzed. Both water and vegetation were collected in two different sampling places: (a) near the mine gallery water outlets and (b) on the landfill close to the abandoned mineral concentration factories. For the heavy metal content determination, two different techniques were used: total reflection X-ray fluorescence for water analysis and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence for vegetation study. Surface waters around mine outlets exhibit anomalous content of Co, Ni, Zn, Cd. Stream waters running on mining landfills exhibit higher Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb than those of the waters at the mine gallery outlets. The results allow us to assess the extent of the environmental impact of the mining activities on the water quality. The intake of these elements by vegetation was related with the sampling place, reflecting the metal water content and the substrate chemistry. Accumulation of metals in mosses is higher than those exhibited in wild grasses. Furthermore, different levels of accumulation were found in different wild grass. Rumex sp. presented the lowest metal concentrations, while Pseudoavena sp. reported the highest metal content.     

Simultaneous Removal of Heavy Metals (Cu,Cd, Cr,Ni, Zn and Pb) from Aqueous Solutions Using Thermally Treated Romanian Zeolitic Volcanic Tuff

Increased concentrations of heavy metals in the environment are of public health concern, their removal from waters receiving considerable interest. The aim of this paper was to study the simultaneous adsorption of heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn and Pb) from aqueous solutions using the zeolitic volcanic tuffs as adsorbents. The effect of thermal treatment temperature, particle size and initial metal concentrations on the metal ions sorption was investigated. The selectivity of used zeolite for the adsorption of studied heavy metals followed the order: Pb > Cr > Cu > Zn > Cd > Ni. The removal efficiency of the heavy metals was strongly influenced by the particle sizes, the samples with smaller particle size (0–0.05 mm) being more efficient in heavy metals removal than those with larger particle size (1–3 mm). Generally, no relevant changes were observed in heavy metals removal efficiency for the treatment temperatures of 200 °C and 350 °C. Moreover, at a higher temperature (550 °C), a decrease in the removal efficiencies was observed. The Cd, Zn, Cu, Cr, Zn and Ni sorption was best described by Langmuir model according to the high values of correlation coefficient. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model presented the best correlation of the experimental data.     

Asymmetric acyloin condensation catalyzed by phenylpyruvate decarboxylase

Cells obtained from growth of Achromobacter eurydice, Pseudomonas aromatica and Pseudomonas putida on -phenylalanine containing medium catalyzed the enzymatic acyloin condensation of phenylpyruvic acid 1 and acetaldehyde 2 by phenylpyruvate decarboxylase to produce 3-hydroxy-1-phenyl-2-butanone 3. The acyloin condensation by Achromobacter eurydice and P. aromatica was stereoselective, providing the 3R enantiomer 3a with enantiomeric excess (ee) of 95% and 84%, respectively. A partially purified enzyme was prepared from the cell free extract of Achromobacter eurydice. The acyloin product 3a was obtained in 45% yield with an ee of 91% by using this partially purified preparation of phenylpyruvate decarboxylase.     

Simultaneous on-line preconcentration and determination of trace metals in environmental samples by flow injection combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using a nanometer-sized alumina packed micro-column

A flow injection (FI) on-line preconcentration procedure by using a nanometer-sized alumina packed micro-column coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was described for simultaneous determination of trace metals (V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the environmental samples. The effects of pH value, sample flow rate, preconcentration time, and interfering ions on the preconcentration of analytes have been investigated. Under the optimized operating conditions, the adsorption capacity of the nanometer-sized alumina for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were found to be 11.7, 13.6, 15.7, 9.5, 12.2, 13.3, 17.1, 17.7 and 17.5 mg g⁻¹, respectively. With 60 s preconcentration time and 60 s elution time, an enrichment factor of 5 and the sampling frequency of 15 h⁻¹ were obtained. The proposed method has been applied to the determination of trace metals in environmental certified reference materials and natural water samples with satisfactory results.     

固体添加剂对垃圾掺烧污泥焚烧飞灰高温过程中重金属挥发特性的影响

在研究垃圾与污泥掺烧后焚烧飞灰中重金属浸出特征的基础上,重点研究了飞灰在1 000 ℃条件下高温处置过程中重金属(Cu、Zn 、Pb、Cd)随不同停留时间的挥发特性及添加剂(CaO、Al₂O₃、SiO₂、高岭土、粉煤灰)对重金属转化与挥发特性的影响。研究结果表明,飞灰中重金属Zn、Pb、Mn含量较高,Ni的含量较低,而毒性较大的Cd达到29.4 mg/kg。浸出液中七种金属都满足危险废物鉴别标准(GB5085.3-1996),并且重金属的浸出浓度受浸取时间及浸取液pH值影响较大。在同样的高温处置条件下,焚烧飞灰中不同重金属的挥发特性有较大的差别。其中,Pb表现出易挥发的特性,其挥发率超过80%,而Cu挥发性较小,其挥发率小于30%。综合来看,飞灰中重金属的挥发性大小依次为Pb>Cd>Zn>Cu。飞灰中添加Al₂O₃和高岭土可以抑制Cd的挥发,添加Al₂O₃后Pb的挥发率有所减少,添加SiO₂、CaO、高岭土、粉煤灰均使Zn的挥发率降低,而对Cu的挥发率没有抑制作用,这与飞灰中高Cl含量及各痕量元素化合物对固体添加剂活性位选择性的竞争吸附有关。     

Cellulose/poly(ethylene imine) composites as efficient and reusable adsorbents for heavy metal ions

A series of Cellulose/poly-ethylene imine (PEI) composites were prepared by grafting hyperbranched PEI onto cellulose chains in alkali/urea aqueous solvent system through “one step” method. The SEM results showed that the Cellulose/PEI composite maintained porous structure. The Cellulose/PEI composites were tested as Cu(II) adsorbents through thermodynamics and kinetics study. The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics equation. The adsorption isotherms could be described by both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum adsorption amount was calculated to be 285.7 mg/g. The composites showed good stability so that they could be used in a wide range of pH and temperature. Besides, the Cu(II) loaded Cellulose/PEI composite could also be easily regenerated by dilute sulfuric acid and still keep a major adsorption capacity. Finally, the adsorption capacities of Celluloes/PEI composite towards other metal ions, such as Zn(II), Ni(II), Cr(III) and Pb(II), were also demonstrated. It will be a new high-performance and environmental friendly material for sewage disposal and metal pollution treatment with promising developmental potential.