Characterization of immobilized bio-mass materials for trace metal binding

The selective removal of metal pollutants from water systems is necessary for their treatment. Several different media have been identified as potential adsorbants. Among these is the bio-mass material from Datura Innoxia (Jimson weed). The cell walls of these single-cell organisms has been immobilized and characterized in terms of elucidating the mechanisms of metal binding. Procedures for the determination of such fundamental parameters for equilibrium measurements will be described in this paper. These procedures include the analysis of adsorption isotherms, high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, and solid-state fluorescence spectroscopy. The application of those procedures to the binding of Cd, Zn and Eu to immobilized Datura will be discussed