Development of a continuous process for metal accumulation by Zoogloea ramigera.

Biomass, mainly consisting of an acidic polysaccharide produced by Zoogloea ramigera, has been used as an adsorbing agent in a continuous process for the recovery of metal. The adsorption of copper has been studied with respect to retention time, biomass concentration, and reaction pH, in order to determine the optimal conditions for copper recovery. The results indicate that the uptake of copper is rapid and efficient. About 0.17 g Cu is adsorbed per gram of biomass within 10 min. At high biomass concentrations, the total amount of copper removed from solution is high, but the specific amount of copper adsorbed to biomass is low. The biomass exhibits a higher adsorptive uptake at low concentrations.