<i>Galdieria sulphuraria</i> ACUF427 Freeze-Dried Biomass as Novel Biosorbent for Rare Earth Elements

oleh: Maria Palmieri, Manuela Iovinella, Seth J. Davis, Maria Rosa di Cicco, Carmine Lubritto, Marco Race, Stefania Papa, Massimiliano Fabbricino, Claudia Ciniglia

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-10-01

Deskripsi

Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential components of modern technologies and are often challenging to acquire from natural resources. The demand for REEs is so high that there is a clear need to develop efficient and environmentally-friendly recycling methods. In the present study, freeze-dried cells of the extremophile <i>Galdieria sulphuraria</i> were employed to recover yttrium, cerium, europium, and terbium from quaternary-metal aqueous solutions. The biosorption capacity of <i>G. sulphuraria</i> freeze-dried algal biomass was tested at different pHs, contact times, and biosorbent dosages. All rare earths were biosorbed in a more efficient way by the lowest dose of biosorbent, at pH 4.5, within 30 min; the highest removal rate of cerium was recorded at acidic pH (2.5) and after a longer contact time, i.e., 360 min. This study confirms the potential of freeze-dried cells of <i>G. sulphuraria</i> as innovative ecological biosorbents in technological applications for sustainable recycling of metals from e-waste and wastewater.