Interrelationship between Heavy Metals Bioaccumulation and Biosorption: A Comparative Study

摘要

Water pollution has become a major worldwide problem. According to FAO by 2025,1.8 billion people will experience absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world will be living under water-stressed conditions. At the same time many people around the world are exposed to heavy metals through drinking water, in where cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic represent the biggest hazards for health (Jaerup, 2003). The current global situation urges the immediate need to investigate new methods for removing these dangerous contaminants. For that reason this study centers in the development of alternative and environmentally sustainable approaches such as biosorption and bioaccumulation to remediate water resources.