CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Society has developed on the bases of the advances in the industry and technology. These advances are associated with an increased use of energy resources, particularly fossil fuels, as well as an increase in environmental pollution. The increasing waste products as well as the prediction that oil reserves are decreasing, are forcing scientist to develop new technologies to remove trace metals from polluted waters and to develop alternative energy sources. In recent years, many researchers have studied the capacity of the microalgae to generate high quantities of hydrocarbons as well as to remove heavy metals from waste waters. The goal of the present article was evaluate the potential of copper(II) removal from contaminated water, associated with the production of hydrocarbons by the microalgae Botryococcus braunii. The growth of B. braunii exposed to different copper concentrations was evaluated at 25°C, under 16:8 light dark cycles during 45 days. Biosorption experiments were conducted in batch mode at an initial pH of 5.5. The copper removal efficiency was evaluated as a function of contact time and initial metal concentration. Afterwards, the algae were dried in an oven at 50°C till constant weight and hydrocarbon extraction was made with n-hexane. Results demonstrate that hydrocarbon production by B. braunii is correlated with its growth. Its presence in the media increases the pH till values above 7. The growth of B. braunii was correlated with alcalinization and copper removal. This fact was due to biosorption and metal hydr(oxide) precipitation at pH values above 6. Results suggest that metabolic active B. braunii biomass could be used for copper removal from solution while it produces appreciable quantities of hydrocarbons. This fact is very interesting to develop remediation processes of waste water with coupled energy production.

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