Development of Algal Biofilters for the Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution From Industrial Wastewater

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

2 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt

Abstract

Ten algal strains; six blue greens, three greens and one diatom were used to build up twenty types of
small laboratory-scale biofilters. Algal strains were inoculated on four carriers (sand, silt, cotton and
sponge). Biofilters were used to bioremove different heavy metals from highly toxic industrial effluents
from the Egyptian industry. Cotton and sponge biofilters proved to be better candidates to remove all
tested heavy metals than sand and silt ones. Moreover, toxicity assessment of raw and filter-treated
effluents using standard test alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata showed that the cotton followed by
sponge algal filters were the highest efficient biofilters capable to reduce effluent toxicity than sand and
silt biofilters. Thus algal biofilters offer an economically feasible technology for efficient removal and
recovery of metals from industrial wastewater.

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