biosorption of chromium by fungal strains isolated from industrial effluent contaminated area

The ability of fungi to act as bio-sorbent had been extensively evaluated and has shown excellent metal sequestering ability for heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, zinc, lead, iron, nickel, radium, thorium, and uranium from aqueous solution. in the present study, tolerance, removal efficiency and adsorption capacity of hexavalent chromium using isolated fungal strains were analysed. total nine fungal isolates were obtained from organic pollutants and metals contaminated gujarat industrial development cooperation sites. filamentous fungi isolated belonged to aspergillus spp., rhizopus spp., trichoderma spp., and penicillium spp. chromium sorption experiments using isolated fungal strains were carried out to check adsorption capacity and adsorption intensity. at higher chromium concentration, removal efficiency and adsorption capacity were observed in the order of aspergills candidus > aspergillus ochraceus > aspergillus flavus > rhizopus spp. > trichoderma spp. a. candidus showed higher adsorption capacity, 5.49mg/g with 98.75% chromium removal efficiency at 150ppm of hexavalent chromium. the observed rl value for langmuir isotherm for all the three concentrations was less than 1, depicting favourable sorption and in freundlich isotherm, the value of 1/n exceeds more than 1 showing co-operative or similar type of adsorption.