BIOREMEDIATION OF INDUSTRIAL HEAVY METALS: Biosorption by Macromycetes

Heavy metal pollution removal is now felt more than ever because of currently severe water crises world- wide. As a solution the biosorption technology has recently emerged as economically and practically viable option to conventional technologies by utilizing any natural source of biomass as a biosorbent for the depollution of industrial heavy metal. Of recent, the use of macromycetes (Basidiomycetes) for depollution of heavy metal ions has been gaining advantage due to requirement of minimum care and maintenance during culturing. The present investigation is, therefore designed to evaluate competence of Pleurotus ostreatus, Schizophyllum commune and Ganoderma lucidum as a biosorbent for the removal of heavy metals ions from aqueous solution. Experiments were performed as a function of pH, biomass dose, equilibrium time, stirring intensity, temperature and initial metal ion concentrations. Spent biosorbent was regenerated to find out the adsorption potential on reuse. Besides, the fungi were applied to real electroplating and tannery effluents to validate their effectiveness in true processing