Avaliação do potencial biotecnológico da biomassa de Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh para remoção de metais pesados de efluentes sintéticos.

Abstract

Serious environmental problems are caused by the presence of toxic metals in effluents emitted by several industries. Conventional conventional ones, normally used for the removal of xenobiotic compounds, have some disadvantages, because in addition to being, for the most part, costly processes, it is unable to fully remove metal ions. The need for efficiency and efficiency using ecological technologies, an example of the use of biological agents, such as bacteria, fungi, yeasts and algae, has resulted in the development of low cost and high efficiency biotechnological alternatives. A process widely used in recent decades is biosorption, because it is possible to remove heavy metals in effluents, combining low cost with good removal efficiency, in addition to being less aggressive to the environment. The use of this technique presents quickness of the process, selectivity and possibility of recovery of the metal or reuse of the biosorbent. This work aimed to evaluate the biotechnological potential of Sargassum vulgare C. Agardh. in the biosorption of heavy metals, Cd2 + and Pb2 + in synthetic effluent. The experiments were carried out with the biomass of the macroalgae (treated and natural), to evaluate the contact time, drying speed and pH of the medium. Toxicity tests were performed using Lactuca sativa (lettuce) as a test organism, 5 ml of each test solution was removed and after a total exposure of 120 hours, the analysis and determination of growth inhibition of the lettuce roots and radicles were constructed . Through the kinetic study, a rate of removal of heavy metals by treated and natural biomass was evaluated. The analysis of removal and quantification of heavy metals was determined by voltammetry. The toxicity test showed that Cadmium is more toxic than Lead and the results of the kinetics showed that biomass has better removal rates for lead.