Abstract

MORENO-RIVAS, Silvia Carolina  and  RAMOS-CLAMONT MONTFORT, Gabriela. Decontamination of arsenic, cadmium and lead in groundwater by biosorption with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. TIP [online]. 2018, vol.21, suppl.2, e20180155.  Epub Dec 02, 2020. ISSN 1405-888X.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fesz.23958723e.2018.0.155.

Heavy metals pollution in water represents a potential public health problem due to its toxicity. Traditional methods of decontamination are mainly focused on the treatment of industrial effluents with high concentrations of heavy metals. In addition, these methods have some disadvantages in their application, such as high costs, large operating spaces and sometimes, employment or generation of other toxic substances. Heavy metals with higher toxicity in water are arsenic, cadmium and lead. Chronic exposure to these heavy metals may damage various organs and promote the development of cancer in humans. The elimination of these heavy metals in drinking water, with lower concentrations that still represent a health risk, can be carried out by the biosorption phenomenon. Biosorbent materials are diverse and economical, ranging from biopolymers to microbial biomass. In this respect, some strains of yeast have great capacity for heavy metals removal in aqueous solutions, especially those of the genus Saccharomyces, particularly Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biosorption by yeasts is a promising alternative for removing low concentrations of As3+, As5+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ in drinking water. However, it is necessary to continue studying the conditions for its large-scale application, as well as other possibilities that allow its optimization.

Keywords : decontamination; heavy metals; biosorption; biomass; yeast.

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