Biosorption of chromium(VI), nickel(II) and Remazol blue by Rhodotorula muciloginosa biomass.

The passive removal of commonly used reactive dye and two heavy metals, from aqueous solutions by inexpensive biomaterial, yeast Rhodotorula muciloginosa biomass, termed biosorption, was studied with respect to pH, initial dye concentration and initial metal ion concentration. The biomass exhibited maximum dye and chromium(VI) uptake at pH 5 and pH 6 for nickel(II) in media containing 50 mg/L heavy metal and 50 mg/L remazol blue. It was found that the highest chromium(VI) removal yields measured were 31.3% for 49.0 mg/l initial chromium(VI) concentrations. The nickel(II) removal yield was 32.5% for 22.3 mg/L. Higher R. Blue removal yields were obtained, such as 77.1% for 117.5 mg/L. The maximum dye biosorption yield was investigated in medium with a constant dye (approximately 50 mg/L) and increasing heavy metal concentration. In the medium with 48.8, 103.8 and 151.8 mg/L chromium(VI) and constant dye concentration, the maximum chromium(VI) biosorption was 7.4, 9.3 and 17.1%, whereas the maximum dye biosorption was 61.6, 56.6 and 55.9%. The maximum nickel(II) biosorptions in the medium with dye were 38.1, 22.1 and 8.8% at 23.7, 37.7 and 60.1 mg/L nickel(II) concentrations. In these media, dye biosorptions were 93.9, 86.4 and 93.3%, respectively.