Binding of heavy metals to pomace fibers

This study demonstrates that the dietary fibers of pomace, a waste product from fruit pressing, have the potential for binding heavy metal ions. The quantity of metal ions bound varies from one fiber component to another. As it can be inferred from the results of the study, pectin was characterised by a particularly high capacity for metal ion binding. The hemicellulose fraction ranked second with respect to metal ion binding capacity. Binding of heavy metals to lignin was found to be generally poor. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.