SINGLE AND BINARY BIOSORPTION OF HEAVY METAL IONS AND A REACTIVE DYE BY ASPERGILLUS VERSICOLOR

Biosorption is becoming a promising heavy metal ions and dye removal process in wastewater treatment. Removal of Cr (VI), Cu (II), Ni (II) and Remazol Blue (RB) from aqueous solution by biosorption on dead fungus, Aspergillus versicolor, was investigated. The initial concentrations were 50-150 mg L for metal ions and 25-700 mg L for the dye in the removal tests for each of these pollutants. The highest single Cr (VI), Cu (II) and Ni (II) yields removed were 15.82 % (pH 6), 28.47 % (pH 5), and 14.59 % (pH 6) respectively, and RB yield was 91.89 % (pH 5), 73.20 % (pH 6) in optimum conditions. The initial heavy metal ions and dye concentrations were about 50 mg L and 100 mg L for binary effects of heavy metal ions and the dye, respectively. In the experiments for the binary biosorption of the metal ions and the dye, the maximum yields of Cr (VI), Cu (II), and Ni (II) were 17.76 %, 22.71 %, and 22.74 %, and the maximum RB yields were 21.23 % (pH 6), 61.66 % (pH 5) and 51.66 % (pH 6), respectively. This is the first report on biosorption of single and binary heavy metal ions and/or dye by non-living biomass of A. versicolor.