Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.89, No.4, 889-900, 2011
A REVIEW ON EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF BIOSORPTION OF HEAVY METALS BY Aspergillus niger
Recent developments in the field of environmental biotechnology lead to the search for adsorbents of biological origin, which is reasonably cheap for toxic trace metal removal. This method is specifically termed as biosorption. In this paper, biosorption of heavy metals by Aspergillus niger is reviewed. Characterisation of A. niger in heavy metal biosorption is extensively discussed. Batch and continuous processes are discussed in details. Influence of process parameters like biomass dosage rate, initial metal ion concentration, and pH of the solution, pretreatment, impact of co-cations on metal biosorption is also discussed. Modelling for batch and continuous process operations are focused extensively. Mechanism of biosorption by A. niger is elaborated.