Biosorption of nickel, cobalt, zinc and copper ions by Serratia marcescens strain 16 in mono and multimetallic systems.

The metallurgical industry is one of the main sources of heavy metal pollution, which represents a severe threat to life. Metals can be removed from aqueous solutions by using microbial biomasses. This paper analyses the heavy metal biosorption capacity of Serratia marcescens strain 16 in single and multimetallic systems. The results obtained show that Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) biosorption in monometallic systems is two to three times higher than in the presence of bi-metallic and multimetallic solutions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that carbonyl, carboxyl and hydroxyl were the main functional groups, as well as the amide bands I and II involved in metal uptake, which are present in external structures of the bacterial cell. The results obtained demonstrated the viability of S. marcescens strain 16 as a biosorbent for the design of eco-friendly technologies for the treatment of waste liquor.