Potentiality of a Seaweed Biosorbent for Heavy Metals Removal

Abstract

The biosorption is considered an alternative technology for removal of heavy metals from wastewater and the use  of seaweeds  as adsorbents  encourages  scientific interest, considering the variety, abundance and availability of different species growing or arriving at the coastal shoreline. The aim of the research was to characterize a seaweed biosorbent prepared from marine algae Sargassum, to know their potentialities for heavy metals  removal  from aqueous solutions.  A characterization  physico-chemical,  morphological and structural  of a seaweed bioadsorbent was  performed  using  microanalysis and surface anaytical
advanced techiques. Was confirmed  of  major  functional groups present in  the  alginic  acid,  alginates, polysaccharides  and proteins  containing  this type  of  seaweed biomass,  biopolymers that facilitate the biosorption mechanisms and consequently they can contribute a high capacity of biosorption of heavy metals of this biosorbente.