Study on the Flocculability of Metal Ions by Bacillus Mucilaginosus GY03 Strain

Inrecentyears,withtherapiddevelopmentofindustrialeconomy ,wastewaterisdischargedinhugevolumeandtheaccumulationofheavymetalionsinsoilsandwatersourcesisspeededuprapidly .Asaresult,waterpollutionhasbecomeadailydeterioratingproblem .Heavymetalsareeasytoenterthefoodchain ,therebyconstitutingagreatthreattothehealthofanimalsandhu manbeings .Therefore,howtoeffectivelyhandleheavymetalpollutionhasbecomeacommonat tractionformankind .Theroutineheavymetaltreatmentmethodsaremainlythechemical,phys icalandphy…     

硅酸盐细菌GY03菌株的絮凝特性

从土壤中筛选分离到一株硅酸盐细菌GY03菌株，对其絮凝特性进行了研究。结果表明，GY03菌株营养要求简单，在生长的同时合成胞外高聚物，具有良好的絮凝性能。GY03菌株所产絮凝物质有88％以上分布在细胞表面，该絮凝剂的絮凝活性随菌体生长量的增加而同步增高，不同金属离子对GY03菌株絮凝活性有影响。实验条件下，1h内GY03菌株所产生的微生物絮凝剂对高岭土悬浮液絮凝率为78％，经放置24h后最高絮凝率可达98％，对制药废水浊度去除率为78．1％～94．7％，COD去除率为48．0％-87．5％，生活污水浊度去除率为85．3％～92．5％，对墨汁溶液的脱色率为53．2％以上。因而认为该菌株是一种很有应用前景的絮凝剂产生菌。     

深圳市电镀废水微生物处理初步研究

利用一株絮凝效果好的胶质芽胞杆菌所产的微生物絮凝剂进行了深圳市较具代表性电镀废水絮凝性实验。结果表明,微生物絮凝剂有较强的吸附作用,能降低电镀废水中重金属离子的浓度,对废水pH值有一定的调节作用。实验确定了处理综合电镀废水中重金属的条件,初步提出电镀废水的处理和回用工艺。     

Flocculation improves uptake of Sr and Cs from radioactive effluents

This paper presents the results of investigation on uptake of radioactive species ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs present in the liquid effluents from nuclear processing plants. Chemical precipitation process is adopted to remove radioactivity from the effluents with low and intermediate level of activity. In this process, radioactive ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs are co-precipitated along with copper ferrocyanide, ferric hydroxide and either calcium phosphate or barium sulphate. These precipitates being fine in size require flocculation for enhanced settling rate in clarifier/thickener. The flocculation by some selected high molecular weight polyacrylamide based polymers has improved the uptake of radioactive metal ions. The adsorption of these radioactive species has been found to increase in the presence of these flocculants thereby improving the decontamination factor (DF). While flocculating the precipitates, there may be some complex formation with Sr²⁺/Cs⁺, flocculant and the substrate. This has enhanced the uptake of the radioactive metal ions from the liquid component. The plant trials have indicated the improvement of DF value due to flocculation by cationic flocculant.     

贵州凯里煤矿地区水质分析与微生物处理实验研究

分析贵州凯里地区煤矿排出废水对周边环境的危害,开展了生物法处理受污染河水的试验研究.对贵州凯里地区从鱼洞到江口的一段河流进行取样分析,通过测定色度、OD、SS、pH值及重金属元素浓度等指标,分析煤矿废水对当地生态环境的污染状况.利用硅酸盐细菌(Bacillus mucilaginosus)GY03菌株所产生的絮凝物质探讨其对煤矿废水的吸附作用和处理效果,结果表明,该絮凝剂对水样的最大絮凝率为97.94%,SS去除率达99.43%,对总铁、Zn2 和Ti4 的最大去除率分别为91.94%,90.93%和90%.这说明该絮凝剂能够有效改善受煤矿污染水体的水质.研究结果为微生物絮凝剂在煤矿废水治理中的应用提供了参考资料.     

Zeolite and fungi’s flocculability of simulated wastewater containing heavy metal ions or phosphorus

This paper focuses on the flocculability of simulated wastewater containing heavy metal ions (Fe3+, Cd2+) or phosphorus by zeolite, microbial flocculants (MBF) produced by Aspergillus niger and the composite flocculant composed of zeolite and MBF. The main results are presented as follows: zeolite was a good flocculant when the contamination of the three simulated wastewaters was low, but the treated water is of turbidness and the particles in it are hard to precipitate. The MBF have a good flocculability toward Fe3+ wastewater, as well as particulate matter. Significant changes in flocculability occurred after adding the composite flocculant in different simulated wastewaters, the best or least effect respective for Fe3+ and Cd2+ wastewater. The research we have done shows that the method by which the composite flocculant is used to treat the wastewater containing heavy metal ions or phosphorus provides important reference value for practical application.     

Interactions between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus mucilaginosus</Emphasis> and silicate minerals (weathered adamellite and feldspar): Weathering rate,products, and reaction mechanisms

Bacillus mucilaginosus is a common soil bacterium,and usually used as a model bacterium in studying microbe-mineral interactions.Several reaction mechanisms of B.mucilaginosus weathering silicate minerals were proposed.However,the molecule mechanisms and detailed processes were still unclear.In this paper,bacterium-mineral interactions were studied in terms of variations in pH value over the experimental period,variations in mineral composition,weathering rates of silicate minerals and volatile metabolites in the culture medium,etc.,to further explore the bacterium-mineral interaction mechanisms.The results showed that B.mucilaginosus could enhance silicate mineral weathering obviously.The weathering rates were quite different for various kinds of silicate minerals,and the weathering rate of weathered adamellite could reach 150 mg/m2/d.Although B.mucilaginosus produced little acidic substance,pH in the microenvironment of bacterium-mineral complex might be far lower than that of the circumjacent environment;a large amount of acetic acid was found in the metabolites,and was likely to play an important role as a ligand.These results appear to suggest that acidolysis and ligand degradation are the main mechanisms of B.mucilaginosus dissolving silicate minerals,the formation of bacterium-mineral complexes is the necessary condition for the bacteria weathering silicate minerals,and extracelluar polysaccharides played important roles in bacterium-mineral interaction processes by forming bacterium-mineral complexes and maintaining the spe-cial physicochemical properties of microenvironment.     

Experimental Study on Surface Reactions of Heavy Metal Ions With Quartz—Aqueous Ion Concentration Dependence

Adsorption of divalent metal ions, including Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ni²⁺, on quartz surface was measured as a function of metal ion concentration at 30°C under conditions of solution pH= 6. 5 and ion strength I = 0. 1mol/L. Results of the experimental measurements can be described very well by adsorption isotherm equations of Freudlich. The correlation coefficients (r) of adsorption isotherm lines are > 0. 96. Moreover, the experimental data were interpreted on the basis of surface complexation model. The experimental results showed that the monodentate-coordinated metal ion surface complex species (SOM⁺) are predominant over the bidentate-coordinated metal ion surface complex species [(SO)₂M] formed only by the ions Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺. And the relevant apparent surface complexation constants are lgK_M = 2.2–3.3 in order of K_Cd≥K_Pb > K_Zn > K_Ni≥K_Cu, and lgβ_M = 5.9-6.8 in order of β_Ni > β_Zn > β_Cu. Therefore, the reactive ability of the ions onto mineral surface of quartz follows the order of Cd > Pb > Zn > Ni> Cu under the above-mentioned solution conditions. The apparent surface complexation constants, influenced by the surface potential, surface species and hydrolysis of metal ions, depend mainly on the Born solvation coefficient of the metal ions. This project was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 49572091).     

Flocculation of smithsonite and dolomite using polymers containing nitrogen atoms

The possibility was investigated of carrying out selective flocculation in the model set smithsonite-dolomite using polymers containing nitrogen atoms, which should interact selectively with zinc minerals.A high activity of flocculants in relation to smithsonite and a low activity towards dolomite was observed. However, the activation of the dolomite surface by Zn²⁺ ions was determined whereby the selective flocculation was not observed in the mixture of smithsonite and dolomite.     

Enhanced removal of dissolved metal ions in radioactive effluents by flocculation

Decontamination of radioactive effluents of low or intermediate level of radioactivity generated from different nuclear industries is done through the chemical precipitation route. The precipitates thus formed are of very fine sizes thereby requiring flocculation for faster settlement. The presence of polyacrylamide-based polymer not only enhances settling velocity but also increases removal of dissolved non-radioactive as well as radioactive metal ions from the liquid. About 99.5% of Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions are removed due to the presence of cationic Rishabh 611. Flocculation by either cationic or anionic flocculant has shown improvement in removal of radioactive strontium while turbidity of the liquid is reduced to a very low value (0.8 NTU). Decontamination factors (DF) of the effluents from different plants are improved by 3–5 times.     

Energy transfer among Pb, Ce and Mn in fluorescent calcite from Kuerle, Xinjiang, China

Natural calcite from Kuerle, Xinjiang, China, shows orange-red fluorescence when exposed to short-wave ultraviolet (UV) light (Hg 253.7 nm). Photoluminescence (PL) emission and excitation spectra of the calcite are observed at room temperature in detail. The PL emission spectrum under 208 nm excitation consists of three bands: two UV bands at 325 and 355 nm and an orange-red band at 620 nm. The three bands are ascribed to Pb²⁺, Ce³⁺ and Mn²⁺, respectively, as activators. The Pb²⁺ excitation band is observed at 243 nm, and the Ce³⁺ excitation band at 295 nm. The Pb²⁺ excitation band is also observed by monitoring the Ce³⁺ fluorescence, and the Pb²⁺ and Ce³⁺ excitation bands, in addition to six Mn²⁺ excitation bands, are also observed by monitoring the Mn²⁺ fluorescence. These indicate that four types of the energy transfer can occur in calcite through the following processes: (1) Pb²⁺ → Ce³⁺, (2) Pb²⁺ → Mn²⁺, (3) Ce³⁺ → Mn²⁺ and (4) Pb²⁺ → Ce³⁺ → Mn²⁺.     

Assessment of raw clays from Maghnia (Algeria) for their use in the removal of Pb<Superscript>2+</Superscript> and Zn<Superscript>2+</Superscript> ions from industrial liquid wastes: a case study of wastewater treatment

Homogenized samples of raw clays resulting from two (2) different lots of natural clays from Maghnia (Algeria) have been assessed for their potential use in the removal of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions from industrial liquid wastes (LW). Raw and acid-activated samples have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and used as adsorbents for the removal of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions from aqueous system using adsorption method under different conditions. The effect of factors including contact time, pH, and dosage on the adsorption properties of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions onto clays was investigated at 25 °C. The obtained results revealed that the removal percentages of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions, from both aqueous solution (AS) and LW, were varying between 90 and 98% for 40 min and optimal pH values ranged from 5 to 6 for Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions, respectively. The kinetics of both Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ion adsorption fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin adsorption isotherms were used, and their constants were evaluated. The values of thermodynamic parameters, ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° indicated that the adsorption of Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions was spontaneous and exothermic process in nature. The adsorption and desorption isotherms indicated that Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ adsorption to raw clays was reversible. The experimental results obtained showed that the raw clays from Maghnia (Algeria) had a great potential for removing Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions from industrial liquid wastes using adsorption method.     

Magnetic properties and neutron diffraction study of two manganese sulfosalts: monoclinic MnSb<Subscript>2</Subscript>S<Subscript>4</Subscript> and benavidesite (MnPb<Subscript>4</Subscript>Sb<Subscript>6</Subscript>S<Subscript>14</Subscript>)

Mn²⁺Sb₂S₄, a monoclinic dimorph of clerite, and benavidesite (Mn²⁺Pb₄Sb₆S₁₄) show well-individualized single chains of manganese atoms in octahedral coordination. Their magnetic structures are presented and compared with those of iron derivatives, berthierite (Fe²⁺Sb₂S₄) and jamesonite (Fe²⁺Pb₄Sb₆S₁₄). Within chains, interactions are antiferromagnetic. Like berthierite, MnSb₂S₄ shows a spiral magnetic structure with an incommensurate 1D propagation vector [0, 0.369, 0], unchanged with temperature. In berthierite, the interactions between identical chains are antiferromagnetic, whereas in MnSb₂S₄ interactions between chains are ferromagnetic along c-axis. Below 6 K, jamesonite and benavidesite have commensurate magnetic structures with the same propagation vector [0.5, 0, 0]: jamesonite is a canted ferromagnet and iron magnetic moments are mainly oriented along the a-axis, whereas for benavidesite, no angle of canting is detected, and manganese magnetic moments are oriented along b-axis. Below 30 K, for both compounds, one-dimensional magnetic ordering or correlations are visible in the neutron diagrams and persist down to 1.4 K.     

Removal of Lead,Copper, Zinc and Cadmium from Water Using Phosphate Rock

Removal of Pb^2＋, Cu^2＋, Zn^2＋ and Cd^2＋ from aqueous solutions by sorption on a natural phosphate rock （FAP） was investigated. The effects of the contact time and initial metal concentration were examined in the batch method. The percentage sorption of heavy metals from solution ranges generally between 50% and 99%. The amount of sorbed metal ions follows the order Cu〉Pb〉Cd〉Zn. Heavy metal immobilization was attributed to both surface complexation of metal ions on the surface of FAP grains and partial dissolution and precipitation of a heavy metal-containing phosphate. The very low desorption ratio of heavy metals further supports the effectiveness of FAP as an alternative and low-cost material to remove toxic Pb^2＋, Cu^2＋, Zn^2＋ and Cd^2＋ from polluted waters.     

Nature of Co-bearing ferromanganese crusts of the Magellan Seamounts (Pacific Ocean): Communication 2. Ion exchange properties of ore minerals

The results of experimental studies of ion exchange properties of Co-bearing ferromanganese crusts in the Magellan Seamounts (Pacific Ocean) are discussed. Maximum reactivity in reactions with the participation of manganese minerals (Fe-vernadite, vernadite) is typical of Na⁺, K⁺, and Ca²⁺ cations, whereas minimum activity is recorded for cations Pb²⁺ and Co²⁺. The exchange complex of ore minerals in crusts is composed of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Mn²⁺ cations. The exchange capacity of manganese minerals increases from the alkali metal cations to rare and heavy metal cations. Peculiarities of the affiliation of Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Mg²⁺ cations in manganese minerals of crusts are discussed. In manganese minerals, Co occurs as Co²⁺ and Co³⁺ cations. Metal cations in manganese minerals occur in different chemical forms: sorbed (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺); sorbed and chemically bound (Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Y³⁺, La³⁺, and Mo⁶⁺); and only chemically bound (Co³⁺). It is shown that the age of crust, its preservation time in the air-dry state, and type of host substrate do not affect the ion exchange indicators of manganese minerals. It has been established that alkali metal cations are characterized by completely reversible equivalent sorption, whereas heavy metal cations are sorbed by a complex mechanism: equivalent ion exchange for all metal cations; superequivalent, partly reversible sorption for Ba²⁺, Pb²⁺, Co²⁺, and Cu²⁺ cations, relative to exchange cations of manganese minerals. The obtained results refine the role of ion exchange processes during the hydrogenic formation of Co-bearing ferromanganese crusts.     

Cation substitution in synthetic meridianiite (MgSO4·11H2O) II: variation in unit-cell parameters determined from X-ray powder diffraction data

We have prepared aqueous MgSO₄ solutions doped with various divalent metal cations (Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Co²⁺) in proportions up to and including the pure end-members. These liquids have been solidified into fine-grained polycrystalline blocks of metal sulfate hydrate + ice by rapid quenching in liquid nitrogen. In a companion paper (Fortes et al., in Phys Chem Min 39) we reported the identification of various phases using X-ray powder diffraction, including meridianiite-structured undecahydrates, melanterite- and epsomite-structured heptahydrates, novel enneahydrates and a new octahydrate. In this work we report the changes in unit-cell parameters of these crystalline products where they exist over sufficient dopant concentrations. We find that there is a linear relationship between the rate of change in unit-cell volume as a function of dopant concentration and the ionic radius of the dopant cation; large ions such as Mn²⁺ produce a substantial inflation of the hydrates’ unit-cell volume, whereas smaller ions such as Ni²⁺ produce a modest reduction in unit-cell volume. Indeed, when the data for all hydrates are normalised (i.e., divided by the number of formula units per unit-cell, Z, and the hydration number, n), we find a quantitatively similar relationship for different values of n. Conversely, there is no relationship between the degree of unit-cell inflation or deflation and the limit to which a given cation will substitute into a certain hydrate structure; for example, Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺ affect the unit-cell volume of MgSO₄·11H₂O to a very similar degree, yet the solubility limits inferred in our companion paper are >60 mol. % Co²⁺ and <30 mol. % Zn²⁺.     

Optical absorption and mössbauer spectra of purple and green yoderite,a kyanite-related mineral

Mössbauer and polarized optical absorption spectra of the kyanite-related mineral yoderite were recorded. Mössbauer spectra of the purple (PY) and green yoderite (GY) from Mautia Hill, Tanzania, show that the bulk of the iron is Fe³⁺ in both varieties, with Fe²⁺/(Fe²⁺+Fe³⁺) ratios near 0.05. Combining this result with new microprobe data for PY and with literature data for GY gives the crystallochemical formulae: $$\begin{gathered} ({\text{Mg}}_{{\text{1}}{\text{.95}}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.02}}}^{{\text{2 + }}} {\text{Mn}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.01}}}^{{\text{2 + }}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.34}}}^{{\text{3 + }}} {\text{Mn}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.07}}}^{{\text{3 + }}} {\text{Ti}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.01}}} {\text{Al}}_{{\text{3}}{\text{.57}}} )_{5.97}^{[5,6]} \hfill \\ {\text{Al}}_{{\text{2}}{\text{.00}}}^{{\text{[5]}}} [({\text{Si}}_{{\text{3}}{\text{.98}}} {\text{P}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.03}}} ){\text{O}}_{{\text{18}}{\text{.02}}} ({\text{OH)}}_{{\text{1}}{\text{.98}}} ] \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ and PY and $$\begin{gathered} ({\text{Mg}}_{{\text{1}}{\text{.98}}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.02}}}^{{\text{2 + }}} {\text{Mn}}_{{\text{< 0}}{\text{.001}}}^{{\text{2 + }}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.45}}}^{{\text{3 + }}} {\text{Ti}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.01}}} {\text{Al}}_{{\text{3}}{\text{.56}}} )_{6.02}^{[5,6]} \hfill \\ {\text{Al}}_{{\text{2}}{\text{.00}}}^{{\text{[5]}}} [({\text{Si}}_{{\text{3}}{\text{.91}}} {\text{O}}_{{\text{17}}{\text{.73}}} {\text{(OH)}}_{{\text{2}}{\text{.27}}} ] \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ for GY. The Mössbauer spectra at room temperature contain one main doublet with isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings of 0.36 (PY), 0.38 (GY) and 1.00 (PY), 0.92 (GY) mm s^?1, respectively. These values correspond to Fe³⁺ in six or five-fold coordination. The doublet components have anomalously large half widths indicating either accomodation of Fe³⁺ in more than one position (e.g., octahedraA1 and five coordinatedA2) or the yet unresolved superstructure. Besides strong absorption in the ultraviolet (UV) starting from about 25,000 cm^?1, the polarized optical absorption spectra are dominated by strong bands around 16,500 and 21,000 cm^?1 (PY) and a medium strong band at around 13,800 cm^?1 (GY). Position and polarization of these bands, in combination with the UV absorption, explain the colour and pleochroism of the two varieties. The bands in question are assigned to homonuclear metal-to-metal charge transfer transitions: Mn²⁺(A1) Mn³⁺(A1′) ? Mn³⁺(A1) Mn²⁺(A1′) and Mn²⁺(A1) Mn³⁺(A2 ? Mn³⁺(A1) Mn²⁺(A2) in PY and Fe²⁺(A1) Fe³⁺(A1′) ? Fe³⁺(A1) Fe²⁺(A1′) in GY. The evidence for homonuclear Mn²⁺ Mn³⁺ charge transfer (CTF) is not quite clear and needs further study. Heteronuclear FeTi CTF does not contribute to the spectra. In PY, additional weak bands were resolved at energies around 17,700, 18,700, 21,000, and 21,900 cm^?1 and assigned to Mn³⁺ in two positions. Weak bands around 10,000 cm^?1 in both varieties are assigned to Fe²⁺ spin-alloweddd-transitions. Very weak and sharp bands, around 15,400, 16,400, 21,300, 22,100, 23,800, and 25,000 cm^?1 are identified in GY and assigned to Fe³⁺ spin-forbiddendd-transitions.     

EPR study of coordination of Ag and Pb cations in BaB<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystals and barium borate glasses

It is shown the possibility to determine the coordination of paramagnetic ions in disordered solid structures, e.g., in barium borate glasses. For this purpose the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method was used to study α-and β-BaB₂O₄ crystals and glasses of 45·BaO × 55·B₂O₃ and 40·BaO × 60·B₂O₃ (mol%) composition activated by Ag⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions. After the samples were exposed to X-rays at 77 K, different EPR centers were observed in them. In α-and β-BaB₂O₄ crystals and glasses the EPR centers Ag²⁺, Ag⁰, Pb⁺, Pb³⁺, and hole centers of O⁻ type were studied. The EPR parameters of these centers and their arrangement in crystal structure were determined. It is shown that Pb³⁺ ions in β-BaB₂O₄ crystals occupy Ba²⁺ position in an irregular polyhedron from the eight oxygen, whereas in α-BaB₂O₄ crystals they occupy Bа₂ position in a sixfold coordination. Pb⁺ ions in α-BaB₂O₄ crystals occupy Bа₁ position in a ninefold coordination from oxygen. In barium borate glasses, Pb³⁺ ions were studied in coordination polyhedron from six oxygen atoms and in a polyhedron from nine to ten oxygen atoms. It is assumed that the established difference in the structural position of Pb³⁺ ions in glasses is due to their previous incorporation in associative cation–anion complexes (AC) and “free” structure-forming cations (FC). Computer simulations have been performed to analyze the stability of specific associative complexes and to compare their bond lengths with experimental data.     

Competitive adsorption of metal ions onto goethite–humic acid-modified kaolinite clay

A binary mixture of humic acid and geothite was prepared and used to modify kaolinite to produce geothite–humic acid (GHA)-modified kaolinite adsorbent useful for the adsorption of Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺ from Single and Quinary (5) metal ion systems. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) and specific surface area of GHA-modified kaolinite clay adsorbent were found to be 40 meq/100 g and 13 m²/g, respectively, with the CEC being five times that of raw kaolinite clay (7.81 meq/100 g). The Langmuir–Freundlich equilibrium isotherm model gave better fit to experimental data as compared with other isotherm models. In Quinary metal ion system, the presence of Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺ appears to have an antagonistic effect on the adsorption of Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ni²⁺, while the presence of Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ni²⁺ shows a synergistic effect on the adsorption of Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺. The GHA-modified kaolinite showed strong preference for the adsorption of Pb²⁺ in both metal ion systems. Brouers–Weron–Sotolongo (BWS) kinetic model gave better fit to kinetic data compared with other kinetic models used. Data from BWS kinetic model indicate that adsorption of metal ions onto GHA-modified adsorbent in both metal ion systems followed strictly, diffusion-controlled mechanism with adsorption reaction proceeding to 50 % equilibrium in <2 min in the Single metal ion system and <1 min in the Quinary metal ion system. Adsorption of metal ions onto GHA-modified kaolinite is fairly spontaneous and endothermic in nature in both metal ion systems although the rate of metal ion uptake and spontaneity of reaction are reduced in the Quinary metal ion system.     

Exopolysaccharide from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> sp. YP03: its properties and application as a flocculating agent in wastewater treatment

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are polymeric substances composed of sugars and are produced by microbes to form colonies and inhibit the growth of other organisms. In the present study, the bacterial strain Bacillus sp. YP03 was isolated from soil sample using a high-sucrose selective medium, the produced EPS recovered using ethanol precipitation, and lyophilized. In sugar analysis, it was found to be rich in fructose content, amounting to 86.1%, and further displayed appreciable antioxidant, emulsification, and flocculation activities. EPS concentration of 140 µg/ml, pH of 7.5, and the presence of trivalent metal cations augmented its flocculating ability. When applied as a coagulant aid in the treatment of municipal wastewater, up to 47 and 89% reductions of chemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids, respectively, were witnessed. Owing to these encouraging results, Bacillus sp. EPS could be applied as a potentially beneficial flocculant in wastewater treatment, for achieving accentuated TSS and organic load removal during primary sedimentation.