Uranium adsorption by dry and wet immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Immobilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ISC) was prepared by the sodium alginate-gelatin embedding method after dry cells had been cross-linked by formaldehyde. Adsorption of uranium(VI) by incompletely and completely dry ISC was studied. The results indicated that incompletely dry ISC had greater adsorption capacity for U(VI), with physical adsorption being the primary mechanism, whereas completely dry ISC exhibited much greater rigidity and much smaller volume. Therefore, initial absorption of U(VI) by incompletely dry ISC followed by heating could be compared with glass solidification for disposal of radioactive waste. The influence of solution pH, temperature, and contact time on U(VI) absorption was also studied, with pH being found to be the main influencing factor. The adsorption mechanism of completely dry ISC was explored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, indicating that the main adsorption mechanism is chemical adsorption.