Laboratory experiments of lead biosorption by self-immobilized Rhizopus nigricans pellets in the batch stirred tank reactor and the packed bed column

A. Kogej and A. Pavko

Abstract
The biosorption of lead from aqueous solutions was performed in a batch stirred tank reactor and a continuous packed bed column with the purpose of examining the process characteristics on a laboratory scale. As a biosorbent, self-immobilized biomass in the form of spherical pellets of the fungus Rhizopus nigricans was used. In the batch stirred tank reactor the influence of the initial lead concentration and the biomass loading were studied. The study of the continuous process in the packed bed column was conducted as a function of the flow rate and the biosorbent bed height. For both types of reactors the metal uptake was compared to the calculated maximum biosorption capacitiy to estimate the efficiency of the process.

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Keywords
adsorption, batch stirred tank reactor, Lead, packed bed column, Rhizopus nigricans