BIOSORPTION OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM OF EFFLUENT USING FERMENTED AGROINDUSTRIAL RESIDUALS BY ASPERGILLUS STRAINS

Abstract

The inappropriate disposal of effluents containing toxic metals in high concentrations is a serious problem for the environment, and hexavalent chromium has received attention due to its high toxicity. The biosorption is a technology characterized as an alternative to remove these compounds from wastewater, due to lower material cost and lower operating costs of biosorbents. The aim of this work was to evaluate the removal of hexavalent chromium of effluent by biosorption using agroindustrial wastes fermented with fungi of the genus Aspergillus. The maximum hexavalent chromium removal was of 58%, using 2% biosorbent produced by solid state fermentation of soybean and rice husk using Aspergillus O-8 strain. The biomass was submitted to heat treatment for sterilization and the initial concentration of hexavalent chromium in the medium was 120 mg/L. This result can be optimized through the study of reaction conditions such as pH and agitation. Keywords: biosorption, rice husk, hexavalent chromium, fungi, soybean.