Author(s)

Dorian A. Bautista-Hernández, Landy I. Ramírez-Burgos, Enrique Duran-Páramo, Luis Fernández-Linares

Faculty of Chemistry, Programa de Ingeniería Química Ambiental y Química Ambiental PIQAyQA, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México.
Laboratory of Bioprocesses, Department of Bioprocesses, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Biotecnología UPIBI-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, México.
Rearch Centre for Environmental Quality, Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Estado de México, Atizapán de Zaragoza, México.

A bacterial strain capable of Zinc and Lead biosorption was isolated from mine tailings. This strain showed the highest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of metals among other isolates in metal-resistance tests. Sorption tests were conducted placing 0.015 g of dry biomass in 10 ml of metallic solution at fixed pH. Contact was analyzed at different times (kinetics) and different initial concentrations (isotherm). The biomass was separated by centrifugation and the concentration of non-absorbed metal was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The strain was identified by 16S sequencing as Delftia tsuruhatensis. The order of toxicity of the metals to the bacterium was Zn > Pb > Se > Ni > Cu = Al. Zinc and Lead absorption kinetics were adjusted to the pseudo second order equation (r² = 0.99), showing that equilibrium was reached at 40 and 20 min, respectively. Maximal absorption of Pb and Zn was 0.216 and 0.207 mmol?g^–1, respectively; which can be considered a median magnitude capacity when compared to other biosorbents described in the literature.

Biosorption; Langmuir and Freundlich Isotherms; Delftia Tsuruhatensis; Pb(II); Zn(II)

D. Bautista-Hernández, L. Ramírez-Burgos, E. Duran-Páramo and L. Fernández-Linares, "Zinc and Lead Biosorption by Delftia tsuruhatensis: A Bacterial Strain Resistant to Metals Isolated from Mine Tailings," Journal of Water Resource and Protection, Vol. 4 No. 4, 2012, pp. 207-216. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2012.44023.