• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.877-883
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• 2006

An alternative method to remove and recover heavy metals is biosorption based on metal-sequestering properties of natural or biological origin. In this study, the effects of factors such as temperature, pH, initial concentration of lead, and initial amount of biomass on biosorption of lead using Aureobasdium pullulans were investigated. A. pullulans has an excellent selectivity to remove lead than other heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, nickel in pure and mixed solution. The optimum temperature of biosorption with A. pullulans was $40^{\circ}C$ and the amount of removal increased at high pH. The higher initial lead concentration or the lower cell dry weight, the higher amount of lead was adsorbed. The adsorption isotherm of lead was accorded with Freundlich model. The adsorption capacity and initial adsorption rate of living A. pullulans were about twice higher than that of dead one.