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The Use of Micro-Organisms for the Removal and Recovery of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Effluents

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Resources and Applications of Biotechnology

Abstract

It has been well known for many years that some micro-organisms can take up large amounts of heavy metals such as copper, cadmium, lead and uranium, and this was discussed in a previous paper18. Attempts have been made to exploit this property to develop systems for the removal and recovery of metals from industrial effluents, both to reduce environmental damage from toxic metals and to recover those with a high commercial value. This chapter will review this work and examine the potential of microbial metal removal and recovery from effluents. For clarity, work on bacteria, algae and fungi will be discussed separately.

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Reference

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Authors
  1. I. S. Ross
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. GB Biotechnology, Swansea, Wales

    Rod Greenshields

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© 1988 The Editor and the Contributors

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Ross, I.S. (1988). The Use of Micro-Organisms for the Removal and Recovery of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Effluents. In: Greenshields, R. (eds) Resources and Applications of Biotechnology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-09574-2_11

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