Arsenic biosorption by identified algal specie
Student name: Ms Charu Dhingra
Guide: Dr Arun Kansal
Year of completion: 2013
Host Organisation: TERI University
Abstract: Phytoremediation is very important especially when water is rich in heavy metals. It
is a technique for removal of nutrients from polluted water by biologival organisms.
Algae reduce nutrients in wastewater by biosorption. It collectes nutrient wastes in
its cells. There are a lot of conventional methods also available to remove nutrient
waste from watersuch as ion exchange, membrane techniques, coagulation and
precipitation, oxidation reduction and adsorption (Jasrotia et al, 2012). These
methods have their financial and technical limitations therefore use of biological
organisms such as algae, fungi and higher plants in sorption of heavy metals and
water treatment is important. Biological methods are financially cheap and
effective. The study shows identification of algal specie (Hair algae) and growing it
in arsenic rich water in one pond and tap water in other pond for 15 days. The
ponds are High Rate Algal Ponds (HRAP). Another batch was set up which had only
one continuous pond in which algal specie was grown with brine and sewage (1:1).
The results showed that algae specie grown in brine and sewage water takes more
time in arsenic uptake and release that algae specie grown in arsenic rich water.
This is due to the fact that algae take time to acclimatize in presence of heavy salts.
The other aim of study was to impact on test pollution parameters such as Iron,
Phosphorous, DO, Arsenic, Hardness, Chloride, Conductivity and pH. However the
results obtained from the study prove biosorption of arsenic by Bryopsis (Hair
algae), but further research can be done to find biosorption of other metal ions by
this algae.
Keywords: Phytoremediation, Biosorption, Hair algae, High Rate Algal Ponds
(HRAP) and Waste Water
