Abstract
The use of surfactants as a method for solubilisation and removal of heavy metal contaminationfrom soil has been reported before. Biosurfactants produced by some microorganisms are able tomodify the surface of various metals and aggregate on interphases favouring metal separationprocess from contaminated environments. We evaluated the feasibility of enhancing the removalof metal ions from a mineral waste/contaminated soils using alternate cycles of treatment withrhamnolipid biosurfactants and bioleaching with amixed bacterial culture of Acidithiobacillusthiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Bioleaching alone removed 50% Zn and 19%Fe. When rhamnolipids was used at low concentration (0.4 mg/mL) 11% Fe and 25% Zn wereremoved while at 1 mg/mL 19% Fe and 52% Zn removal were achieved. When using a cyclictreatment combining bioleaching and biosurfactants, metal removal reached up to 36% for Feand 63% to 70% for Zn.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 16-29 |
| Journal | Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2015 |
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Diaz, M. A., de Ranson, I. U., Dorta, B. D., Banat, I., Blazquez, M. L., Gonzalez, F., Muñoz, J. A., & Ballester, A. (2015). Metal Removal from Contaminated Soils Trough Bioleaching with Oxidizing Bacteria and Rhamnolipid Biosurfactants. Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal, 24(1), 16-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/15320383.2014.907239