Fungal biotrap for retrieval of heavy metals from industrial wastewaters

Biotraps are living cells or specific cell components capable of removing or stabilizing toxic substances form waste streams. The fungus Penicillium ochro-chloron was discovered growing in an electroplating wastewater stream in Japan. It is not only tolerant to very high concentrations of divalent metal ions, but it can effectively remove heavy metals (such as uranium cadmium, nickel, etc.) from almost any aqueous waste stream. This paper discussed P. ochro-chloron biotrap which was prepared by growing spores in a glucose-minimal salts medium supplemented with 0.5 percent Tween 80 for 5 days with constant gentle agitation. The while mycelia beads 4-6 mm dia. were treated in a Buchner funnel with 80% ethanol to kill the cells, 15 percent sodium carbonate/bicarbonate pH 9.5, and then resuspended in an aqueous slurry at pH 4.0. The mycelia beads were used as an adsorbent in a batch experiment to determine copper-to-mycelia binding. This system should be capable of heavy metal uptake and recovery from both electroplating wastewaters and contaminated aqueous environments. The use of this fungus biotrap will rival synthetic cation environments. The use of this fungus biotrap will rival synthetic cation exchange resins because of lower cost, lower weight per unit of exchange capacity and ease of application