Characterization of Cystoseira sp. for the Isolation of Uranium

ABSTRACTOrganic leaching is an important problem for the sorption of heavy metals and radionuclides by biological raw materials. In this work, various chemicals were used to modify the raw brown macroalga Cystoseira sp. to increase the capacity for uranium sorption and decrease leaching. The biosorption and desorption of uranium ions were optimized for various parameters using the unmodified and modified biosorbents. Surface properties and the binding sites of the macroalga were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The maximum capacity for uranium of Cystoseira sp. modified with 0.2% glutaraldehyde in water was 428.4 mg/g and the percentage of desorbed uranium from the biosorbent was 99 ± 1% with elution by 1 mol/L HCl. This work represents the first report of Cystoseira sp. for biosorption and suggests its application for uranium ions.