A Comparative Study for Removal of Mercury and Lead by Microorganisms

미생물흡착을 이용한 수은과 납의 제거에 관한 비교 연구

A study on the removal of mercury and lead by microorganisms, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aureobasidium pullulans, was performed, in which the comparison of adsorption model between these two heavy metals was done. The amounts of mercury removed were more than those of lead in both microorganisms. In case of mercury, the adsorption isotherm of S. cerevisiae was accorded with Langmuir model but A. pullulans was followed to Freundlich model. In the case of lead, however, the adsorption isotherm had opposite results. The adsorption rate of mercury to S. cerevisiae was faster than that of A. pullulans, but in the case of lead, it revealed contrary results. It seems, therefore, that the type of microorganisms used as biosorbents should be selected differently with the type of heavy metals removed for applying these to real adsorption process.