Production and Characteristics of a Heavy Metals Removing Bioflocculant Produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

TIhe flocculating activity ofa bioflocculant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-10145 using kaolin clay was assayed. The influence of carbon, nitrogen sources, pH and culture temperature on bioflocculant production was investigated. The effects of cationic compounds, bioflocculant dosage, pH and temperature on flocculating activity were also determined. Of the cations tested, Ca2+, K+, Na+, Zn2+, Mg2+ and Cu2+ improved flocculating activity whereas Fe3+ and Al3+ caused its inhibition. The highest flocculating activity was observed at pH 7.0.The bioflocculant had a good flocculating activity of 80.50% for kaolin suspension with a dosage of only 1%. The bioflocculant was heat-stable and its activity was only decreased to 60.16% after heating at 100 degrees C for 60 min. Chemical analyses of the purified bioflocculant indicated that it was a sugar-protein derivative, composed of protein (27%, w/w) and carbohydrate (89%,w/w) including neutral sugar, uronic acid and amino sugar as the principal constituents in the relative weight proportions of 30.6%, 2.35% and 0.78%, respectively. The elemental analysis of the bioflocculant revealed the mass proportion of C, H and N was 19.06, 3.88 and 4.32 (%), correspondingly. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed that the exopolymers consisted of carboxyl, hydroxyl, amino and sugar derivative groups. The heavy metal adsorption by the bioflocculant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be influenced by the initial metal concentration, bioflocculant concentration and pH of the biosorption solution. This study demonstrates that microbial bioflocculant has potential to be used as an alternative bioremedial tool for industrial effluents and wastewater treatments which are co-contaminated with heavy metals.