Biosorption of Chromium ion in Aqueous Solution Using Biomass of Wheat Shell and Cantharellus lateritius (Berk), a Nigerian Mushroom
*Olatokunbo S. A., Fasidi I. O. and Afariogun T. E.
Department of Plant Science & Biotechnology, Adekunle Ajasin University,
Akungba Akoko, Ondo State Nigeria
Accepted on June 18, 2012
Abstract
The biosorbents used in this study were biomass of wheat shell (an agricultural waste) and biomass of Cantharellus lateritius,a mushroom,at various concentrations of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0g. The effects of varing the metal ion concentration at constant value of biosorbents and vice versa were examined on metal uptake. The highest value of absorption of 154.42mg/g was recorded at the highest initial metal concentration of 400mg/l by the agricultural waste, after 60 minutes of contact. This was followed by the absorption of the metal by fungal biomass also at the highest initial metal concentration of 400mg/l, after 60 minutes of contact at the rate of 139.96mg/g. For each treatment of varing concentration of biosorbent, using wheat shell, the peak absorption in each case was reached within 90minutes of contact. This trend was largely observed in case of Cantharellus lateritius only at the experiment of varing metal concentrations. Comparatively, wheat shell biomass turned out to be a better biosorbent of chromium (VI) oxide than the biomass of Cantharellus, with Freundlich constant, n, of 2.0 as compared to 1.9 of fungus.However the rate of absorption was observed to increase with increasing metal concentration for both biosorbents, but increase in time of exposure after two hours had no considerable positive effects on the metal uptake. These findings indicate wheat shell and Cantharellus lateritius as promising materials for Cr (VI) absorption, especially the mushroom, if grown to protect soils exposed to pollution from industrial effluents.