Heavy metal biosorption by white-rot fungi

In this study, heavy metal biosorption potentials of two white-rot fungi, Polyporous versicolor and Phanarochaete chrysosporium, which are commonly used in wastewater treatment were determined. Biosorption studies were performed for Cu(II), Cr(III), Cd(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II) at the same operational conditions and the effectiveness of both fungi at removing these heavy metals was compared. It was found that both P. versicolor and P. chrysosporium were the most effective in removing Pb(II) from aqeous solutions with maximum biosorption capacities of 57.5 and 110 mg Pb(II)/g dry biomass, respectively. With P. versicolor, the adsorptive capacity order was determined to be Pb(II)>Ni(II)>Cr(III)>Cd(II)>Cu(II) whereas the order was Pb(II)>Cr(III)>Cu(II)=Cd(II)>Ni(II) with P. chrysosporium. As a general trend, metal removal efficiency with these fungi decreased as the initial metal ion concentration increased.