Chapter 24. Marine macrophytes: Biosorbents

Biosorption is a biological method suggested as a cheaper and more effective technique for heavy metal ion removal and recapture from aqueous solutions such as industrial wastewater. A large range of biological biomass, principally bacteria, algae, seagrasses, crab shells, yeasts, and fungi have received increasing attention for heavy metal ion removal and recovery. In particular, through this method, nonliving aquatic macrophytes (i. e., macroalgae and seagrasses) can be used for heavy metal removal due to their large availability, easy regeneration, and low costs. In recent years, macrophytes have been shown to be able to remove pollutants by surface adsorption or by bioaccumulation, incorporating metals into their tissues or storing them in a bound form. The type of biomass used in the treatment procedure can make a significant difference for the removal of pollutants. Furthermore, the knowledge ofmetal kinetic biosorption parameters for nonliving macrophytes has become crucial for treatment design to improve the efficiency ofmetal removal in artificial systems for their recycling. In this chapter, the properties of dried macrophytes in the treatment of wastewater and their cell wall and cuticle compartments are described. Moreover, the procedures for biosorption experiments are analyzed.