Progress in batch biosorption of heavy metals onto algae

Biosorption is a promising technology which pays attention to fabricate novel, cheap (low-cost) and highly-effective materials to apply in wastewater purification technology. Algae belong to a multi applicable group, which can contribute to important sectors. Their major use is to produce a wide range of primary and secondary metabolites, which applied to food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Moreover, algae have been suggested as potential feedstock for bioenergy and biofuel production. This review article collects information from published works of the last two years (2014 and 2015), discussing about the alternative use of different algae (micro and macro) in raw or modified form as promising biosorbents for water or wastewater decontamination. Some important adsorption paths were criticized as the stage of (i) equilibrium (isotherms), (ii) kinetic, and (iii) desorption. For this purpose, many factors which influence the adsorption process, such as the effect of solution pH, contact time, temperature and adsorbent's dose, were also discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.