engleski

Monitoring of heavy metal ions removal in horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor by TLC

Pollution by heavy metals is a major environmental problem because they are not subject to natural degradation and therefore it comes to their bioaccumulation in tissues, what can cause serious health problems. Generally used bioreactors for metal removal from waste water include rotating biodisc reactors, trickle filters, fixed bed and fluidized beds, air- lift reactors and other biofilm reactors [1]. In this research, removal of metal (Co, Cr and Mn) by biosorption process in horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB), was monitored. HRTB is designed as a combination of thin-layer and biodisc reactor and therefore has characteristics of both reactors. Discs are used as carriers for microbial biomass, which removes metals present in water. Biosorption can be defined as the removal of metal or metalloid species, compounds and particles from solution by biological material [2] and it was monitored by thin-layer chromatography. Before analysis of waste water samples, it was necessary to determine the optimal chromatographic system for separating metal ions. In optimization procedure, binary, ternary and quaternary solvent systems with different volume shares were used. Total mixture volume was 10 mL. Therefore, standard solutions of metal salts in distilled water were prepared in range of 0.1-1.0 g/L. These solutions were used for optimization and metal ion identification during real-sample analysis. Based on the obtained chromatograms, calculated retention factors (RF values) and plate development time, the adequate chromatographic system for separation and identification of analysed metal ions was chosen.

horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor; monitoring; heavy metal ions; removal; thin layer chromatography

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