The use of absorbents of biological origin has emerged in the last decade as one of the most promising alternatives for the control of environmental pollution caused by heavy metals. A number of methods, viz. chemical precipitation, evaporation, electroplating, ion exchange, membrane, processes, etc. exist for the removal of heavy metals from liquid wastes. All these methods are expensive and h...

-Biofilm is communities of microorganisms attached to the surface and is able to concentrate metal species within their cell structure. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce Escherichia coli biofilm on zeolite (clinoptilolite) and evaluate its ability for nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr) adsorption from aqueous solutions. A laboratory-scale batch model was used for biodsorption assay. Th...

Owing to their high uptake capacity at low temperature and excellent reversibility kinetics, metal-organic frameworks have attracted considerable attention as potential solid-state hydrogen storage materials. In the last few years, researchers have also identified several strategies for increasing the affinity of these materials towards hydrogen, among which the binding of H(2) to unsaturated m...

This article deals with the interrelationship between overall chemical speciation of S, Fe, Co, and Ni in relation to metals bio-uptake processes in continuous stirred tank biogas reactors (CSTBR). To address this topic, laboratory CSTBRs digesting sulfur(S)-rich stillage, as well as full-scale CSTBRs treating sewage sludge and various combinations of organic wastes, termed co-digestion, were t...

Aquatic organisms accumulate metals from dissolved and particulate phases. Dietborne metal uptake likely prevails in nature, but the physiological processes governing metal bioaccumulation from diet are not fully understood. We characterize dietborne copper, cadmium, and nickel uptake by a freshwater gastropod (Lymnaea stagnalis) both in terms of biodynamics and membrane transport characteristi...

The Biosorption property of S. cerevisiae for chromium uptake was investigated in an immobilized cell bioreactor. Saw dust was utilized as the solid bed in the reactor. Adsorption of S. cerevisiae on saw dust obeys a first order reaction kinetic up to 6 hours. The immobilized biomass particles are porous and exist in the new generation of biological adsorbent. Chromium biosorption was studied i...

The aim of this study was to estimate the bioavailability of essential (Zn, Cu) and non-essential metals (Cd, Pb) to the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus exposed to soils originating from a gradient of metal pollution in Southern Poland. Metal uptake and elimination kinetics were determined and related to soils properties. Experimental results were compared with tissue metal concentrations observed...

Zinc (Zn) is an essential plant micronutrient but is toxic in excess. To cope with excess Zn, plant species possess a strict metal homeostasis mechanism. The Zn hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri has developed various adaptive mechanisms involving uptake, chelation, translocation and sequestration of Zn. In this mini review, we broadly discuss the different Zn tolerance mechanisms and then fo...

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the etiologies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but evidence of specific environmental exposures and susceptibility windows is limited. Here we study monozygotic and dizygotic twins discordant for ASD to test whether fetal and postnatal metal dysregulation increases ASD risk. Using validated tooth-matrix biomarkers, we estimate pre- and post-nat...

Alternating flooding and drainage conditions have a strong influence on redox chemistry and the solubility of trace metals in paddy soils. However, current knowledge of how the effects of water management on trace metal solubility are linked to trace metal uptake by rice plants over time is still limited. Here, a field-contaminated paddy soil was subjected to two flooding and drainage cycles in...