Removal of Cd(II) and Cu(II) from Aqueous Solutions by Pseudomonas stutzeri KMNTT-01 Biomass

The ability of Pseudomonas stutzeri KMNTT-01 biomass to remove Cd(II) and Cu(II) from aqueous solution was studied in batch method with respect to solution pH, contact time, biomass dose and initial metal ions concentration. Batch experiment results showed that the removal ability of KMNTT-01 biomass for Cd(II) and Cu(II) was optimum at pH 7.0 and contact time 3 h at room temperature (27 ± 2 °C). The equilibrium data of Cd(II) and Cu(II) adsorption fitted well the Langmuir model with maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 49.26 mg g −1 (R 2 = 0.996) and 39.84 mg g −1 (R 2 = 0.983), respectively. The adsorption kinetics for both metals followed well the pseudo-second-order model. SEM-EDS analysis showed morphological distortions in the surface of KMNTT-01 biomass after Cd(II) and Cu(II) biosorption. FTIR analysis indicated that the functional groups on the cell surface were responsible for Cd(II) and Cu(II) biosorption. In conclusion, the biomass of P. stutzeri KMNTT-01 is a very promising candidate to remove Cd(II) and Cu(II) from polluted sites.