Extraction of Mercury from Groundwater Using Immobilized Algae

摘要

Bio-recovery Systems Inc., conducted a project under the Emerging Technologyportion of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPAs) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program to evaluate the ability of immobilized algae to absorb mercury from contaminated groundwater in laboratory studies and pilot-scale field tests. Algae biomass was incorporated in a permeable polymeric matrix. The product, AlgaSORB, packed into absorption columns, exhibited excellent flow characteristics, and functioned as a 'biological' ion exchange resin. A sequence of eleven laboratory tests demonstrated the ability of the product to absorb mercury from groundwater that contained high levels of total dissolved solids and hard water components. However, use of a single AlgaSORB preparation yielded non-repeatable results with samples collected at different times of the year. The strategy of extracting the groundwater through two columns containing different times of the year. The strategy of extracting the groundwater through two columns containing different preparations of AlgaSORB was developed and proved successful in laboratory and pilot-scale field tests. Field test results indicate that AlgaSORB could be economically competitive with ion exchange resins for removal of mercury, with the advantage that hardness and other dissolved solids do not appear to compete with heavy metals for binding capacity. (Copyright (c) 1991--Air and Waste Management Association.)